Property dealing is an intricate issue, it needs meticulous planning as well as efficient handling of legal matters in order to make the dealings legal and secured from all aspects. It is definitely not possible to know all the legal intricacies for a common person while dealing a property matter; therefore, the assistance of an expert realtor is needed to make a property deal hassle–free and legal. For example, if you are intended to conduct a property deal in Louisville or in Lafayette, you should seek the professional assistance of an expert Louisville or a Lafayette realtor and it is best found from online an available Louisville Colorado Realtor list.

An expert realtor knows the pros and cons of the real estate market he is operating in. Therefore while buying or selling a property a realtor can suggest the best possible way to profit on the deal. A realtor is the best person who knows all the intricacies of property dealing; therefore, he can plan to execute the deal by mitigating all the legal and formal hassles according to the requirements. This saves time, money, and energy of the client and they can enjoy their purchase or sale deal with better shape of mind.

While selling a property, it is not easy to find a prospective buyer. On the other hand a real buyer will definitely go for a realtor’s reference for purchasing a property because of his industry knowledge. The primary arrangement of a property selling is to bring the property in buyers’ knowledge. Unless you will utilize the coverage and reach of a reputed real estate agent of your locality, it is not possible to avail maximum exposure for the said property. Hence the assistance and suggestion of an expert realtor is expected in all aspects of a property selling. For an example, if you have a property in Boulder, you should contact a Boulder Realtor for professional help and relevant suggestion.

On the other hand, for buying a property one should seek the expertise and professional assistance of a trade expert realtor. For example if you wish to purchase a property at Louisville area you have to seek assistance from Louisville Realtors. You can overview lots of properties placed on web ready for sale and these property listings are available only with realtor’s websites with all initial description of the said properties. Online browsing for the realtor’s website is great way to sort out some best reference of purchasable properties. If you like a property initially, for further negotiation you need to contact the said realtor and ask for his assistance to complete the said deal.

There is another situation where we should always consult a realtor for his suggestions. It is the case of purchasing foreclosure homes. Superior Realtors who are members of Superior Realtor Association in Wisconsin are the best resources to advice on the purchase transaction of foreclosure loan. Therefore if you have decided to purchase a foreclosure home from a Boulder Realtor, or Louisville Realtor, or Lafayette Realtor, if your realtor is not enlisted in Superior realtors’ list, you should not forget to consult any of the advice form of Superior realtors to know better about purchase deals of foreclosure homes.

-By: Wivell George Wireman

The need for Boulder Realtor or some Louisville Realtor can be found at here.

Finding a good realtor is tough. There are billions of real estate agents listed online making the decision difficult. So how do you know who is reputable and who isn’t? What makes a good realtor? Before you dive into the process of finding a successful realtor follow these five easy tips, then start your search. With these tips as a guide, then it shall be a cinch to find the realtor suitable for you.

1. Find a realtor that knows the area. There are many realtors who have no idea about the area they are selling. They are not familiar with the neighborhood, territory, the pros and cons making it difficult for the realtor to provide a true insight regarding a certain region. Many realtors did not grow up in the area they are showing, and relay generic information you are able to discover yourself online. Therefore, find a realtor that grew up and/or lives in the same area. A realtor active in the community you desire to live is able to supply ample knowledge regarding traffic, driving routes, if the area is suitable for kids, schooling system, parking, shopping, etc…

2. Verify the realtor’s reputation. No matter if you are searching for commercial or residential real estate, you should verify the realtor is in good standing with the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Also, check the local chapter of the NAR ensuring the realtor is legitimate, doesn’t have any negative marks against him/her, and is a stand-up real estate agent. You do not wish to begin your home search without this essential step done first. In addition, ask for references. Ask to speak with past clients. If the realtor is successful, then it should not be a problem to ask past buyers/sellers regarding a specific agent.

3. Choose a realtor with internet, mobile and interactive communication capabilities. Realtors today utilize the internet, cell phones, emails, and other various accessible devices. You do not wish to be limited during your search. Searching for a home takes time and money. Thus, choose a realtor that uses all methods of communication. For if you are out of town and do not wish to put a halt to the house hunting, then a realtor capable of sending you interactive video, photos, listings, etc…directly to your email and/or cell phone is key to the progression of the search.

4. Find a realtor that is a MLS user. MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service (MLS). It is a tool real estate professionals use to find residential and commercial locations for clients. MLS is able to breakdown searches by school districts, cities, zip codes, streets and more. You are able to make it as detailed or as a broad of a search as you like and MLS helps you achieve this goal.

5. Choose a realtor that is accessible to you even when appointments aren’t scheduled. It is a tough market for realtors right now and for a realtor to remain on top, then he/she should be accessible via cell phone during reasonable hours of the day and/or early evening. Every realtor wishing to be the best at what they do understands it is imperative to be reachable after 5 P.M. Thus, find a realtor compatible with your hours and make sure he/she is able to be reached even if not during traditional bank hours.

-By: Tony Mandarich

So keep in mind when searching for a realtor to refer to these top 5 tips. It will help you find a successful realtor near you.

Buying a house, selling a house, or just thinking of doing either often requires the help of a realtor. This seems simple enough; after all, the faces of realtors are plastered on bus benches all over town. Still, finding a realtor and finding a good realtor are very different things. Before you hire anyone, there are certain things you need to look for specifically. Consider hiring the following:

Someone You’re Comfortable With: There are certain professions where trust is of the utmost importance. Lawyers, doctors, and stock brokers, for instance, all must be trusted by their clients. Included in this list is realtors. A good realtor is someone who you know will do his or her best for you. There should be nothing shady about them, they should have a proven track record, and they should have a demeanor that makes you comfortable. If you can’t voice your concerns and desires to your realtor in a candid manner, you better get a new one.

Someone Local: California might be filled with some of the most well known, most effective realtors in the business. But, if you are looking for a place in Idaho, no California realtor should be hired. You want a realtor who knows the area like the back of his hand: he knows what school districts are good, he knows the best hospitals, he knows the neighborhoods that are up-and-coming and those that are laden with crime. Hiring a realtor who knows his stuff helps you know you’re getting the best service.

Someone Who Wants What you Want: Realtors work on commission and this can lead to them pushing you towards a more expensive house when the cheaper one would suffice. They are, after all, salespeople. If your realtor appears to be trying to make a big sale, or seems to be trying to get you to buy something you don’t really want, he’s not being a very good realtor. A realtor who asks you questions, and focuses solely on what you want, however, is a realtor worth keeping.

Someone Working Full Time: These days, it seems that almost everyone and their mom is a realtor. Some people do this for supplemental income, some do it as a hobby, and some do it as a full time job. The latter group is often the most effective. By hiring a full time realtor, you help assure that their search for your new home is full time as well.

Someone Who Doesn’t Have a Million and One Clients to Also Serve: Zealous realtors are good: they are eager, they are aggressive, and they are dedicated. Overzealous ones, however, might compromise their effectiveness by having more clients than they can count. This doesn’t mean you should be your realtor’s sole client, but if he is too busy to give you attention and show you houses, or you have a personal relationship with his answering machine, you might want to upgrade to a realtor who has downgraded his clientele.

-By: Jennifer Jordan

Jennifer Jordan is an editor and staff writer for http://www.thecatskillfarms.com. A real estate investor, she is up-to-date on the latest trends of the housing market. She even sometimes tells people that those trends were based on her ideas.

I let out a big sigh when one of my students called me. He talked with a landowner who lived in Michigan but owned a parcel of land in Florida. The landowner was interested in selling but said that first he was going to call a Realtor in Florida to determine the value of the property.

So why did I sigh? My experience says that they are going to contact the wrong person and get bad advice (mostly in regards to price). Ultimately the deal will fall through.

Most sellers don’t understand that they cannot contact just ANY Realtor to help them make an informed decision. They are best served to contact a Realtor who is experienced in land. It is the same dynamic if I am considering buying a self storage complex. I don’t call ANY Realtor – I find one who understands how to value commercial properties.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? I have had too many experiences in negotiating with landowners where the deal was derailed by a Realtor who didn’t have experience valuing land. This isn’t a knock against Realtors in general.

Let’s face it – to value land in this economy is tricky at best. It is imperative to find a land professional that knows the local area and is familiar with land that has recently sold in there. So if I am going to do a deal in Alabama, I am calling a Realtor who is experienced in land statewide as well as locally. I am not going to call a land Realtor in Georgia or North Carolina because land in Alabama is unique in regards to terrain, demand, price per acre, etc.

Why am I such a big fan of land Realtors? They are a critical person in the process to understand land values and whether a parcel is a good value or not.

I cut my teeth in land when I was an office manager at a land brokerage (I am an investor not a Realtor). While I was there, about 60% of the buyers bought land sight unseen. It was because they were looking at land like stock. They were TRUSTING that the land Realtors at the office evaluated the property correctly.

My boss was the stereotypical land broker. He came to work dressed in his cowboy hat and boots and had a drawl that this city boy could sometimes not understand. But he KNEW his area and was passionate about finding only the best deals for his buyers.

But the stereotype of the land Realtor is changing. With the advent of the Internet, land Realtors still know their area well. But now they have evolved into Internet real estate specialists creating high quality marketing pieces for websites and email requests.

It is my opinion that we are not going to have enough experienced land Realtors to service the upcoming demand for all land types. With the stock market and economy in continued decay, more and more investors are going to turn to land as one safe haven to place their money.

Investors are going to have to trust an experienced land Realtor’s opinion on finding good values. Are you one of them?

I have been a part of over 600 land deals and virtually every transaction has been closed with the help of a land Realtor. I would not turn to anyone else!

So how does one find a land Realtor in the area where you hope to buy? Here are a couple of suggestions:

1. Go to www.rliland.com and search through their free database of land Realtors. Look for “Find a Land Consultant” tab on the site to begin your search.

2. Go on the Internet and select the state and county that you are searching and see which Realtor is listing land parcels for sale in that area. Usually they will have enough experience in land to assist you.

3. Sometimes I call a large brokerage office by phone and ask for the land specialist in their mix of Realtors. Unfortunately I have had some Realtors misrepresent themselves so you have to be careful to interview them to determine if they are the right person. (I have a chapter in my manual on “How to Find the Right Realtor” that goes into how to interview for a land Realtor to determine if they are right person for your real estate need).

One of the best decisions you can ever make when purchasing land is to find a land Realtor to serve your needs.

-By: Russell D Ward

Learn how to develop a competitive edge as a real estate investor by applying the principles Russell Ward writes about in his Home Study Course, Vacant Land Guide – How to Buy Vacant Land at Wholesale Prices. The turn-key program teaches how to make $5K to $10K per month quick turning small parcels of land and $50K to $100K per deal on larger tracts of land in just 10-15 hours per week!

Are you looking for a Realtor to represent you in the sale of your home? Here are 8 tips that will help you make a good decision on choosing a Realtor.

1. Business decision, not a personal one

Selling your home is not an easy task in today’s market. It is challenging and you need someone that is up to the task. Use a full time real estate professional with a proven track record. Think twice before using a family member or friend who has not sold a home since 2005. This may be the largest transaction of your life so make it a business decision. It is best to hire good representation from day one.

2. Ask for a referral

Ask your friends and family members to refer you to a good Realtor. Someone you know has probably used a good real estate agent. Ask around and get a list of good Realtors to interview. They will probably tell you a few not to use.



3. Interview Realtors

Most Realtors hate this tip. Meet with more than one agent and have them do a listing presentation for you. This usually consists of their marketing plan, backgrounds, background on their brokerage and a valuation of your property.



4. Hire the biggest producer?

Don’t assume that the highest producer is the best Realtor or gives the best service. Would you rather work with a good Realtor who has forty listings or a good Realtor that has ten? You probably will end up with better service with the Realtor that spread between only 10 listings. That is not always the case but this is what you can uncover when you interview them. The larger producer may sell ten homes between $2 million and $3 million a year. If your home is worth $300,000 would you rather use that Realtor or one who sells twenty homes a year priced between $300,000 and $400,000?

5) You get what you pay for

I am just as frugal as the next guy. However, often times you get what you pay for. The market dictates what Realtors charge for services. It is a negotiable item and there are discount brokerages out there. From the outside it appears that Realtor make way too much money. 6% of $400,000 is $24,000. That is a lot of money. However, when you break it down and spread it around it isn’t as much as you think. That commission is usually split between the listing agent and selling agent. The Realtors have to split with their brokers. Brokers have to pay their staff, rent, advertising, light bill, utilities, etc. Promoting your listing to find a buyer costs money so there are expenses like photography, advertising, direct mailers, signs, websites etc. The agents belong to one or several Realtor Associations. We have to pay dues to all of those Associations. To promote the listing on the Sarasota MLS we have to pay dues to access the MLS. The expenses go on. Realtors probably don’t make as much money as you think.

I have a friend in the business who says, “If you want to pay peanuts you end up working with monkeys.”



6) Don’t let the Realtor buy your listing

This is fairly common occurrence. Realtors are fighting to get listings and they could tell you an unrealistic price for your home just so they list with you. Realtors either know that they are doing this or they are just horrible at pricing property. Make any agent you interview substantiate their valuation with market facts, data and trends. Often times, the Realtor with the lowest valuation is your best choice because they are most honest or most in tune with the market.

7) Interview a Realtor that specializes in your area

Some Realtors only work a small niche. Those agents typically know their niche or market area more than their competitors. They are good to have on your side. However, the process of valuing and selling real estate is essentially the same in all segments of market with slight variations. You don’t have to hire a specialist or niche Realtor.

Be Leery

Be cautious of Realtors who tell you everything you want to hear. I would rather be told the truth versus what I wanted to hear only to find out the truth later. Some Realtors are total “yes” people and lead you believe what you want to believe just to get your listing.

Keep these tips in mind and they will help you make a wise choice in hiring a Realtor. Selling a home is not rocket science but you can waste a lot of time hiring the wrong agent. The way home prices have been falling listing with the wrong agent can cost you a large amount of money.

-By: Marc Rasmussen

Marc Rasmussen
Realtor in Sarasota, Florida
http://www.LuxurySarasotaRealEstate.com/siesta-key-real-estate.php

Your home is probably your most valuable asset that you will ever have to decide who will earn the right to represent the sale or the purchase of your property. It could be an overwhelming experience to decide who is the most deserving to earn your trust out of the 5,465 licensed realtors in Calgary. Just because your friends said that he is the best realtor you should make sure to do your own due diligence. After all, your friends aren’t the ones who will be managing your personal finances. An even more important question to ask ourselves is to understand the reasons why we should have a realtor to look after our best interest before we begin the hunt for one.

Have you ever tried to cut your own hair? If you did, I am sure it wasn’t a pretty experience. Realtors are trained professionals and are continuously mandated to upgrade their knowledge to help to better serve their clients every day. It’s not only the knowledge that a realtor will bring to the table when working with you, but a realtor can save you considerable amount of time by doing most of the leg-work for you… at no direct cost to you.

In today’s booming market condition it’s not uncommon for sellers to try the For Sale by Owner market before considering hiring a realtor. Chances are good that you will be able to succeed at selling on your own. However statistics show that in most cases sellers ended up selling their properties for much less than what it would have cost them to hire a professional. Weather you are buying or selling a piece of real estate it’s extremely important to have a professionally prepared comparable market analysis done for you to protect your investment. It’s also as important to complete the paper work properly. Once the ink dries on the paper it’s hard to make changes to it and regrets could easily come by.

Realtors have access to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). Having the convenience of being able to tap into the single largest source of homes available on the market is not the only benefit that you will receive. Realtors are legally bounded by a strict Code of Ethics and high Standard of Business Practice as well as Agency obligations to represent your best interest. In a nut shell what this means to you is that all the information available on MLS is guaranteed to be accurate by the listing Realtor and if there were any defects known about the property or other facts that might affect your decision making process you will find out about it up front.

Regardless if you are buying or selling a property, it could take a bit of time to find a quality realtor. The relationship that you will establish will play a key part in your future investment. It is well worth the effort to work your way through many potentials to find that “Outstanding Realtor”, but when you find one, they will be worth their weight in gold.

The most successful way to begin your realtor hunt is to conduct subtle but effective interviews in person. The purpose of your first interview should be to discover each other’s needs, expectations and to discover the future steps to be taken by both of you. Your meeting with the potential realtor should be structured to find out how effective they might be finding properties or selling your existing property. You will need to be able to conclude if the realtor is focused on a potential long term relationship or does he feel ‘desperate’ to sell the next house. If you feel a little bit pressured, you might be tempted to choose to work with someone else because the realtor doesn’t understand the word ‘relationship’. The other side of the coin is you want to find someone who isn’t too set back. You want to make sure that he will be actively doing what you agree upon and that he will have the time and energy to complete your sale or purchase. Working with an aggressive, motivated realtor is good when they are representing you. They will be able to uncover as many opportunities as possible. You want someone who is enthusiastic, along with competence and consideration for a long term relationship.

Timing and creativity seems to be an ongoing issue today. Like most of us, we could have days when everything just seems to be piling up and we find it challenging to follow up on our promises. However, for most of the time, we should be organized and well prepared in advance for those crazy days. Find out ahead of the game what is your realtor’s policy on returning your calls and what kind of systems does he have in place to serve you better.

Education and knowledge with experience will be the key elements of a successful real estate transaction. You should be also asking your realtor if he is taking any advanced training to better serve his clients or what is he doing that is different from the rest of realtors? The best way for you to prepare for your meeting is to sit down prior to the meeting and write yourself a set of questions that are important to you and discuss them at the time of your interview. More likely a well prepared realtor will do the same thing. The most effective way we can help each other is by communicating openly.

Once you feel confident and comfortable about choosing a realtor to work with you, don’t be afraid to commit to him. At the end of the day a realtor will be spending a considerable amount of time working for you away from his family. In exchange for his time and for his up front miscellaneous costs associated with serving you, it’s only fair to him to be able to get paid for his efforts.

Weather you are considering purchasing your first home or perhaps you have done it many times in the past, you owe it to yourself to further explore the potentials of maximizing the value of your largest investment. The quality of any relationship that you will ever establish will be a direct correlation to the amount of time and energy you invest with that person.

-By: Joeseph Samson

For information about the Calgary real estate market , visit JoeSamson.com an excellent resource for Evergreen real estate

In real estate display ads, you will see many realtors with initials listed behind their names. These are realtor designations, representing the certifications held by the realtors. Here are just a few realtor designations:

o ABR — The abbreviation stands for Accredited Buyer Representative. This certification means the realtor specializes in representing buyers.

o ALC — The Accredited Land Consultant specializes in land brokerage transactions.

o CIPS — The Certified International Property Specialist will have more knowledge of the international real estate market.

o CRB — The Certified Real Estate Broker has specialized knowledge in brokerage and real estate business management.

o CRE — These realtors hold a Counselor of Real Estate certification that is by invitation only. They give seasoned advice on real estate and land-related matters.

o CRS — The Council of Residential Specialist certification means the realtor concentrates on the buying and selling of residential homes.

o GRI — The realtor with a Graduate Realtors Institute certification has attained what the industry considers to be the highest professional standing for a residential realtor.

o SRES — The Seniors Real Estate Specialist has specialized knowledge for working with seniors, who probably have not sold a home for many years. This realtor is able to properly explain new terms, laws, procedures and financing to seniors, as well as help them to more fully understand their seller and buyer rights.

Why Get Designations?

Realtors who have these designations have studied specific areas of real estate in order to gain advanced knowledge within these areas. Qualifying for these designations takes a lot of classroom time, testing and learning extensive practical knowledge. Some designations require up to six-to-eight months of regular classroom study. In addition to giving the realtor more knowledge, such study also increases the realtors’ professionalism.

Realtors have found these designations quite valuable; since the more knowledge they have, the more confidence their clients have in their skills and ability. Such certifications are especially valuable for new realtors, increasing their knowledge faster than with on-hands experience.

All realtors are required by their state to have a certain level of knowledge in order to be licensed. Additionally, realtors are required to take coursework every four years to maintain their license. Certification coursework is completely optional for realtors.

What Does This Mean to the Buyer or Seller?

That depends upon the individual realtor. I worked in the insurance industry for many years, where such designations are aggressively promoted and just as hard to obtain. I found the following concerning insurance agents and their designations that easily translates to realtors and their designations:

o For many, the coursework improved their knowledge and ability to sell,

o The designations attracted more clients,

o Many of our firm’s top insurance agents held designations,

o Many of the top agents held no designations, and

o One of the most successful agents the firm ever had held no designations, continuously topped everyone in sales each year, and was so successful that he had his own private secretary, who screened all his calls, because he was so busy with clients who just seemed to gravitate toward him.

My point is this — A designation indicates that the realtors have completed some extensive study on their own time. It means they should be well versed in that particular area of real estate. It does not mean that they are more knowledgeable than a realtor without the designation, because the latter may have learned much more through actual experience than the person holding the designation.

So, when looking to hire a realtor, keep a good perspective on designations. Opt to do a good interview with the realtor, rather than simply accepting he/she is the best because of a designation.

-By: John H

John Harris is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations. For more information please visit Homes for Sale in Encinitas [http://www.twtrealestate.com/encinitas-homes.html]

I am not sure about anything in Realtor marketing before the 70’s but I have been thinking over the last couple of days about what has been, and what is, and what will be in the future for Realtor marketing. This will probably be a multi part post as I am not sure exactly how long I will be able to go on for with each post.

First of all, back in the 70’s many Realtors where using geographic farming techniques or just talking to friends and neighbors. The real organized way to do Realtor Marketing at the time was to find a small geographic area and walk around knocking on doors. This was a very effective method that still works although the original idea was diluted by losing the knowledge of the area and instead getting a larger and larger farm market. There is nothing wrong with geographic farming and I know of many Realtors that make it work still although I believe that it is not nearly as effective as it once was for a few reasons.

First of all geographic farming is time consuming in an area of 500 homes and most Realtors have tried to increase the size but have to reduce their effectiveness. How do Realtors do this? Well most of the time the Realtor will instead of door knocking and getting their face out will instead phone through an area and either before or after send a newsletter or a notepad or some thing else. I know that it works but it the personal feel of the Realtor coming to the house has been lost in a way.

Second there are many more Realtors know then there ever have been. As home prices have skyrocketed the number of Realtors has skyrocketed as well. Trouble is sales have not kept up and the average Realtor makes just over 30,000 dollars a year. I know that becoming a Realtor is a bit of a fad and I am sure like any other market things will equalize over the coming years I am not really sure what is going to change that. If you are a Realtor now and facing this huge number of Realtor issue then you must set yourself apart by using Realtor Marketing in a different way.

In the 80’s more and more realtors had started doing Realtor marketing by using the phone to do farming and databases were just starting to get into place so that Realtors could access past, present and future clients could be easily mailed to and contacted. Again this was a very successful method of marketing but as the 90’s started and especially late in the 90’s as Act, Maximizer and Top Producer became popular as Realtor marketing tools and cheap enough for many Realtors to be able to afford. The type of Realtor Marketing that had earlier been very successful become oversaturated and lost its initial effectiveness. I am sure that this method has become less and less effective but is still popular and easy to do for most Realtors. I know of some Realtors that will mail a letter a day to expireds for two weeks or Realtors sending some kind of mailing to past clients every two weeks.

Now that we are into the internet age and with access to MLS info only a mouse click away Realtor marketing has again changed. If you are looking to make a difference then you must again go back to the way that Realtors worked in the 70’s and that the most successful Realtors have worked over the last few years.. No, I do not mean go door knocking but instead make sure that you are getting into the customers head by being likeable, trustworthy and top of mind by being a person and not just a voice on the phone or a signature on a letter or email.

It is more important now more than ever to be sure to use technology and to personalize your service. I believe that the best was to do this is to have a website that speaks in your own words and follow that up with a weblog that talks about not only real estate and contains Realtor marketing but also personal stories that create an aura ofbeing a real person instead of just a salesperson..

-By: Bill Nadraszky

http://realtorweblog.xptechsupport.com

Should you, as a homeowner, looking to sell your home, consider selling the property yourself or take the conventional route and engage a Realtor? That is the preverbal $64,000 question – or if you use the national average sale price of existing homes of $268,000 – the $16,000 question. Based on pure value, this is a question that really should at least merit consideration.

Obviously For Sale by Owner (FSBO) is not for everyone. I really don’t know why that statement has to be made – NOTHING (with the exception of air and water) is for everyone. Now back to the point at hand.

Why should you consider FSBO:

First and foremost – you save money – simple statement to make. How do you save money? You don’t pay the typical 6% real estate commission associated with a real estate brokered listing and sale. This isn’t just any money – it is your tax free (usually) home equity. Money that you have ultimately earned either through appreciation, home improvement, sweat equity or savvy real estate investment. Anyway you slice it, it’s YOUR money. It is often said buying a home is the single most important and largest purchase of an individual’s life. Does it not stand to reason that selling a home represents the single most important “Sale” of an individual’s life? The National Association of Realtors will tell you that FSBO homes sell for 16% less then Realtor sales. The problem with their calculations is they use a flawed formula to support their argument – they use a MEDIAN price as opposed to an AVERAGE price. The median is a “middle number” in a series of numbers – the average is a sum of all numbers divided by the total number – which is what as a homeowner cares about.

Another consideration is that an FSBO can take all or part of the real estate commission savings and deduct it from the price of their home to expedite a sale. This works great in a “soft” market or if you simply have to sell your home in a limited amount of time. Consider this example (I have used this unlikely scenario purely to make my point). You own a 1300 Sq ft – 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo. Your adjacent neighbor has the exact same unit with the same level of finish and has listed it with a Realtor for $485,000. Calculate the 6% real estate commission in to the equation and best case your neighbor walks away with $455,900 – that leaves you with $29,100 to negotiate. If I’m a buyer and I see the exact same condo next door for $30K less I can tell you which one I am buying!!! To be honest, I’m going to buy it if I can save ANYTHING! This works very well if you bought in a strong real estate market and the market has now softened to the point that you actually paid more then you can sell it for. Selling FSBO may allow you to at least keep your head above water – remember we are talking 6% of the value of your property.

Another reason individuals consider FSBO is a bad experience with Realtors. Realtors are just like every other field – there are “good” Realtors and “bad” Realtors. Like many industries they have a self governed “Board” that they can be brought before and face punishment. That said Realtors also carry E

A realtor can be a valuable asset when buying or selling a home, but finding a competent realtor can be a challenge. Sellers want to move their property as soon as possible, and buyers do not want to be coerced into buying a property they may not want. A good realtor will thread the needle and address the concerns of both sides. Good realtors are out there, but where can they be found?

National Association of Realtors

Whether buying or selling a property, it is imperative that the realtor be a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Beware of any real estate salesman that is not a member. The NAR has a strict code of ethics, and any violations can be grounds for losing that membership.

Word of Mouth

This is probably the best way to find a good realtor. Knowing someone who has recently bought or sold a property can give an unbiased opinion of their realtor. They may even have valuable information regarding the company they work for. Word of mouth referrals may be difficult in the current real estate climate, but finding someone with firsthand experience can provide insight that cannot be found any other way.

Check the Established Companies

The large real estate firms can provide information regarding their employees that will help when selecting a good realtor. Any company that refuses to provide basic info is a sign of trouble and a cue to move on. A good company, or even the realtors themselves will provide recent sales information, background, licensing, and other information necessary to make an informed decision. Beware of the no-name firms though. It is possible that they are legitimate, but companies that balk at providing information on their realtors, including licensing information are to be avoided.

Ask Questions

Once a realtor, or a pool of potential realtors has been selected, these questions will help decide if they are the right realtor for a particular deal.

1. Qualifications: The NAR designation should be mandatory, but there may be other designations or awards that can further highlight the realtor’s qualifications.

2. Referral information: This may be one of the least asked questions of a realtor. A realtor with a high referral rate is an indicator that past clients were happy with their performance. A good realtor will be happy to share the information, but at the same time, it is a good idea to ask to talk to a few past clients and get their opinion.

3. Do they require an exclusive agreement? Beware of these realtors if the answer is yes. An exclusive agreement can tie up the seller’s property, as well as prompt a commission from the buyer, even if they did not have anything to do with them buying the home. An exclusive agreement only benefits the realtor. If they disagree, ask them to explain in detail.

4. How committed are they? Nobody wants to be just another client on a list. Property sellers want to sell and need to know what the realtor is going to do to make that happen. Buyers are in a market where the prices can change rapidly in a short time. They need a realtor to act fast on their behalf.

5. Can an attorney view any contracts between the parties? If a realtor balks at this, walk away immediately. Any legitimate realtor will have no problem with an attorney looking over any document.

A significant amount of money will be changing hands in a real estate transaction. Having a good realtor is as valuable as having a good attorney. A bad one can be disastrous. Use the above guidelines and remember that the realtor works for you, not the other way around.

-By: Lynn K. Adams

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