Our goal with this blog is challenging. Although we are Realtors and we do sell properties, we want our customers to trust us and to know that we represent their best interest. We have established a great reputation and hope to convey that message to our readers. I want to thank Rebecca Blood who has inspired me into writing more in depth about what we do with the idea of establishing a clear road of communication where we can dialogue openly and honestly about our market.
Rick and I specialize in the South Florida Real Estate Market, specifically The Miami Shores and surrounding areas. We work with sellers for the most part but also work with a limited amount of buyers, buyers that we can offer our time and effort because they are loyal.
As a buyer, you need to work with an agent you feel comfortable with, one that will show you a wide range of properties, not only their listings. If you are working with an agent that doesn't give you their opinion, that thinks every property you walk into is perfect for you, then it's probably time to find a new agent. A professional real estate agent will identify your needs, will be able to separate the emotional from the practical and will not be afraid to tell you, "don't buy this one, this is not the house for you".
During meetings with your agent certain questions should be answered:
- What is the single most important factor when identifying the perfect property, is it price, is it location, is it size?
- If you have never purchased a property before, the process should be explained
- What types of properties will you be looking at? MLS listings, For Sale By Owners, pocket listings
- What happens when you place an offer and what steps will follow after an offer is accepted?
- What is the closing process: Inspections, appraisals, financing, closing documents, etc.
As a seller, it is crucial that you keep an objective mind when interviewing real estate agents. Price is not everything; a lot of agents will try to "buy" your listing by promising a higher sales price. Getting more money is every seller's goal, but by pricing your property too high, you will only be doing yourself a disservice. In a buyer's market, like the one we are in now, there is a lot of inventory (a lot of choice for buyers), and not pricing a property accordingly will only keep you out of the race.
During your first listing appointment, a listing agent should:
- Explain the market conditions
- Have experience selling properties in your area
- Show you different models for pricing your home, including tax roll sales and MLS sales.
- Explain how they will communicate with you on a regular basis
- Have a specific marketing plan for your property
These are just a few guidelines to help you find an agent to sell or buy a property. Rick and I pride ourselves in great service and will be shockingly candid. We let our buyers know when a property is overpriced; we let them know what the repercussions will be when buying the most expensive house on the block. We also walk away from listings when sellers want to overprice. Our reputation follows us, we are ethical, we are open and our customers become our friends.
Please feel free to ask us questions about the South Florida Real Estate Market, if we are not familiar with your area, we will refer you to someone that is.
Ines - what a power-packed post this is - loads of great information for both buyers and sellers. You did a GREAT job explaining all of this, and clearly the clients you and Rick work with are serviced very well.
Outstanding post!
Ann
Ines...
This is a wonderful way to reach out to the consumer with excellent advice :)
Buying or Selling a home requires having someone who cares enough to be honest.
TLW...ROAR!
Bryant - that is exactly my intent - we need to ecucate and help the consumer discriminate between good and bad services. It will be a pleasure to show you oceanfront properties when you are ready!
Monica - thank you, it means so much coming from you, trainer extraordinaire!
Ann - thank you - it's not easy writing these posts because there is sooo much information - you know I could have gone on forever.
TLW - honesty is the key - I think it is obvious which of us consider that the most important factor in our business. (I miss your TLW signature, where did it go?)
Sorry Ines...
There has been so much controversy over the signatures that I decided to just stop doing it. For Now :)
Who am I to rub fur the wrong way? :)
Elderberry? Hmmm. That must be one of those signs :)
TLW...ROAR!
Ines ~ this is a great primer for working with you. As a consumer I would have a clear understanding of what to expect. No surprises is a good thing!
Thanks!
kk
TLW - I think we all have our personality, you were not spamming and it was not offensive, that's my take.
Hi Kristal! thanks so much for that - no surprises is a GREAT thing!
:)
Ines,
What a great post. I've never bought a house, and after reading this, I feel I know what to look for in selecting a realtor. I have some further comments on real estate blogs in general over in the original interview thread. Trust me when I say that we need more realtor blogs that will write about their expertise with such honesty, clarity, and passion.
Thank you Harriet - welcome to Active Rain! thanks for stopping by and look forward to seeing you around the rain.
Ines
Kaushik - although I totally agree with your statement, this medium of blogging needs to portray trust through our words more than our actions. I think it's easy to prove ethics and integrity with actions, but we need to do this through our written word as well, which is not an easy task. Our blog will show our personality, the way we do business and will guide the consumer into identifying the right person to do business with.
Ines
Great insights. If one look at the list of what we have to do, perhaps, the public will realize that we earn every dollar we make! Trust, ethical conduct and knowledge stand out.
This is a great marketing piece that I am confident will draw in business...