Real Estate Agents – Choosing the Right One

January 1st, 2012 by maureen | No Comments | Filed in Agents
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If you are in the market to sell your home, it is important to choose a real estate agent who will do his or her best job and provide the most excellent services to you. After all, you are looking for quality, honesty, timeliness, and dedication. So how do you go weeding out the good real estate agents from the bad real estate agents? There are a few ways that you can do this.

To start with, you will want to know how long the real estate agent has been in practice, and if their licensure is kept up to date. Several years of practice under their belt has given them a world of experience to make a good sale. Also, check what hours they work. If they don’t work nights or weekends, then this schedule will fail to accommodate most working people in the mindset to buy. A part-time realtor may not have the time to adequately market your property.

In the line of work experience, find out how many properties they have sold in the last year, and the average sale price of them. Ask them what percent of their listings have sold, and if they can provide you with references from homeowners, whose houses have sold, and those who haven’t. It is important to find an agent who is willing to disclose facts. If they are a good agent, they won’t have anything to hide. Find out how many current listings they have. The fewer the better for you, since an overloaded real estate agent won’t have the time to devote to your sale. If they have a full load already, this is the time to say goodbye.

Since advertising is key to selling your house, find out if they will commit to a certain amount of money spent each month to this area. An unadvertised house will be too unnoticeable to sell. Request a thirty or sixty-day contract agreement time. This will provide the realtor time to sell, but gives you an opportunity to move on if you are unhappy with them. If they refuse, by all means question why. You really don’t want to be locked into an agreement for years, only to find out the real estate agent is not a good one. Also find out if the property will be on the Multi Listing Service, and what their policies on open houses are. These are all key items in getting your house in the viewing area of potential buyers.

Question the real estate agent as to how long the property will take to sell at suggested price. Your house may be worth the amount advertised, but quite possibly the area will not get you that price. You need honesty in this matter. Most importantly, do not overprice your house. You may not get any potential buyers attention with this maneuver.

The real estate agent will be your home’s best opportunity to be sold. It is important to ask questions, and pay attention to detail, when making this selection. You need someone who is able to provide care, time and effort in selling your house. Remember, you are entrusting this individual to handle probably one of the biggest financial transactions of your life. Making the right choice could be the difference between that “SOLD” sign going up or not.

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Finding Your Real Estate Agent

December 10th, 2011 by maureen | No Comments | Filed in Agents
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Whenever you buy or sell real estate, you may be like millions of other people out there, in thinking that you don’t need a real estate agent. Most people who buy or sell homes, generally think that a real estate agent is a waste of money. Those who choose to buy a new home, think that real estate agents only add to the cost of purchasing the home.

What most people aren’t aware of, is the fact that real estate agents are normally paid by the seller, not by the buyer. As a buyer, you’ll get to work with a professional real estate agent without really having to pay for it yourself. The policies can vary greatly from state to state and company to company, which is why you should always check any paperwork or contracts that are provided to you to ensure this is the case. When you are interviewing agents, make certain to ask about any type of fees as well.

A lot of real estate agents out there may work with both buyers and sellers, although most specialize in working with either the buyer or the seller. If you are buying a home, make sure that the agent you choose has prior experience of working with buyers and transactions that involve no money down. This way, you can count on your agent to be there when you need him the most – especially if you don’t have a down payment.

If you are interviewing a real estate agent and he or she isn’t familiar with down payment assistance programs, you shouldn’t hire their services. Agents who aren’t familiar with these types of programs generally aren’t on the level, or they may lack the experience necessary to help you purchase the home of your dreams.

You can also make a list of real estate agents that you can interview based on referrals from friends, lenders, and even family. Lender referrals are normally a great choice as most lenders have worked with their recommendations in the past and both are already familiar with each other. Choosing a lenders referral can also prevent you from encountering any obstacles or surprises.

When you interview a real estate agent, make sure that you have the agent explain his fees. This way, you’ll know exactly how much he will be getting from the purchase. You should also find out how much experience he has in the field, and how long he has been working with real estate. You can also ask about sample contracts as well. If you are buying a home, you should make sure that the agent works with buyers. If you happen to be selling your home, then you’ll want to make sure that the agent works with sellers. Agents that are dedicated to one or the other are the best to choose, as they will have more experience than agents who work with both buyers and sellers.

Find a real estate agent is an easy task – providing you know what to look for. If you take things one step at a time and carefully make a decision, chances are that you’ll end up with an agent who has the experience you want. You should always be careful when you choose, and never rush the process. Real estate agents are easy to find, although finding one who fits your needs and has your budget in mind is a little tougher to locate. When you make that final decision, you should always choose an agent who has your best interest in mind – and isn’t just after the money.

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Americans Split On Real Estate Agents Service

June 26th, 2011 by maureen | No Comments | Filed in Agents
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Americans are split on whether they are satisfied with their real estate agents services, according to the latest survey conducted by Housing Predictor, which forecasts housing markets in all 50 U.S. states. The online survey indicates respondents are divided on the quality of their agents services.

Forty-seven percent of the respondents said they were satisfied with their last real estate agents services, while a nearly exact number of 46% said they were not satisfied with their agents. Some seven percent were unsure.

After a national real estate boom in many states, the survey indicates that real estate agents may have a long way to go to increase the public’s perception and enthusiasm of their industry. Previous studies have also shown that the public does not blame their real estate agents for paying too much for properties they have purchased in the last few years.

Housing Predictor regularly surveys visitors to the web site on a variety of issues related to the real estate industry, which is one of the largest driving forces of the national economy. Despite the slowdown in the housing market in many states, 18 states local markets are appreciating, including Texas and New Mexico, where foreclosures are just beginning to record higher numbers.

Forecasts for more than 250 local markets in all 50 states are provided on Housing Predictor, where you may also search real estate listings and foreclosures, which is becoming an increasingly active market for many home buyers and investors.

Housing Predictor has forecast that more than two million homes will be foreclosed through 2009 due to fall out from the sub-prime loan crisis as it spreads into the conventional mortgage markets. Foreclosures are at near record high levels in many areas, but are rare in the second home and vacation markets, where a large percentage of buyers pay cash for property.

Housing Predictor is a leading online resource for consumers, home owners, the real estate industry, mortgage and financial companies, which regularly consult the web site for its unbiased independent housing market forecasts.

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The Real Estate Agent: Whose Side Are They On?

June 25th, 2011 by maureen | No Comments | Filed in Agents
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Yes, I said it, is the real estate agent really on your side? We (my wife Julie and I) have worked with some outstanding agents, some good agents, some mediocre agents, and some agents that should NOT be agents. Like any industry or profession, there are people who are good at their job, and people who are not. Nobody is going to debate that with us, but what we will debate is whether you actually need a realtor when you’re buying a property. It may seem like they only have their commission on their mind and not your best interests. And if you do need one, how do you actually get a good one?

Like a bathroom renovation, your taxes, your wedding and so many other things, you have the option to do the work yourself or pay someone else to do it for you. Doing it yourself is always more time and work, it can be a bigger hassle than you expected because of your lack of expertise and it can end up costing you more than you think it will. But, it can also ensure you know exactly what was done, get exactly what you want, and it can be a source of much self satisfaction when it’s done.

At least half of the properties we bought were done so without the aid of a Buyers Agent. I did the research online using MLS or Realtylink or CLS, tabulated details in a spreadsheet over a period of time to help me spot opportunities and then, when I find what I think may be a good buy, I contact the listing agent for more information.

I’m not advocating you head out there and buy properties without a Buyers Agent, I’ve just found that when I venture into a geographic location where I haven’t got an existing relationship with an agent, I do better research on properties because I know exactly what I want. Without that pre-existing relationship, when I’ve told a realtor what I want they either don’t provide me with enough details on properties for evaluation or they’ll put me on their automated e-mailing list and send me every 3 bdrm, 2 bth house in X area for X dollars or they’ll limit the search too much to find the ones I want.

But, if the agent doesn’t know you and doesn’t have all of the details, it’s difficult for a Buyers Agent to find the perfect property for you. And if they don’t know you, many of them won’t go through the effort and time to go through each and every property on a detailed basis to find the right property for you (because that is a lot of work for an agent to do for a potential client that could just be “kicking tires”). But before the real estate agents on our subscriber list get angry, let me note that some of our purchases have come with your help! In those cases, they were almost always agents we’d worked with before, that knew what we were looking for and knew we were serious shoppers. For the most part, I have found most of our properties completely on my own and have done very well (cashflow and appreciation) without help from an agent in the property selection phase of the process.

But, before you fire your agent, let me say that not everyone is up for the market research detail that I do (just ask my wife – sometimes she bans me from using MLS because I get so out of control), and we still prefer to use a Buyers Agent when we buy. Having an agent represent you is not just about finding a property. Remember all the other things an agent does for you:

* Provides you comparable sale information for properties in your area of interest;

* Books and takes you to appointments for viewing properties of interest and fields all calls from Sellers Agents;

* Handles all of the negotiation on your behalf when you put in an offer to purchase;

* Handles the paper work mess that follows the acceptance of a purchase offer;

* After the purchase the agent will usually keep in touch and provide you with updated market information for your area to help you identify new opportunities in the area and keep tabs on your property value.

* And having your own Buyers Agent removes the bias or collusion that could exist if only a Dual Agency Agreement is in place.

You don’t want to grab just any agent though. No matter what, they still are on commission and only earn their commission when you buy a property. So, it’s in their best interest for you to buy that house, whether it’s really the best one for you or not.

Get a Great Realtor Working For You

It’s IMPERATIVE that you work with an agent that has helped in the purchase of many investment properties, and even better, owns several properties him/herself! (Although Julie argues with me on this point – she says “If they invest in real estate themselves how do you know they are going to bring you the good deals they find? Why wouldn’t they buy them for themselves?” – so the only thing she and I agree on here is that the agent MUST have experience working with investors).

As a residential mortgage broker I used to seek out agents that said on their website that they specialized in helping real estate investors. That was one of my specialties too so I thought we’d have a lot in common! Well – I can’t tell you how many realtors I met that said their “specialty” was Investment properties yet they a) have never owned one, and b) don’t even know what a GRM (Gross Rent Multiplier) or CAP rate is! So, if you do intend to start looking to purchase, go out and research your prospective real estate agent first and then ASK QUESTIONS:

* How much experience do you have working with investment properties?

* How many investment properties do you currently own?

* Can you provide some referrals from investment property purchasers you have worked with?

* How will you find good investment properties for me to evaluate?

* Besides sending me automatic emails that show general listings that may fit my desired property criteria, what else do you do to find that “perfect” match?

* What criteria would you use to pick an investment property for yourself?

Of course, you’ll need to have a good sense of what you actually want before you contact the realtor. Your agent will only be as good as the information you provide him or her. If you tell your agent that you want a property that makes money each month that doesn’t give them much to work with. Narrow down your area before you call them. And, as always, know your objectives! Do you intend to manage the property yourself? Do you care if it is a single family home or multi-family? How much money do you have to put in as a down payment? Are you willing to do renovations to improve the property? And, a good realtor should ask you these questions to help narrow down what you’re looking for. If a prospective realtor doesn’t ask you any questions, you might want to keep looking.

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What to See in a Real Estate Agent?

June 24th, 2011 by maureen | No Comments | Filed in Agents
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With umpteen numbers of houses available in the market, it is quite difficult to buy or sell a home on your own. Thus, it is feasible to always take help from professional real estate agent to make a lucrative deal. Without a nice real estate agent, you may never get an implausible deal. There are various ways to find the best real estate agent in your desired area. In addition, checking the local bulletin boards might also provide you with various real estate agents. With the aim to sort out the best from such a huge list, you should ask your family or friends regarding their experience with the real estate agents. Lots of your friends or family might have gone through the exact situation and could recommend a preferred real estate agent to you.

Always remember to short list several real estate agents before finalizing the one. Once you have short-listed few realtors, the next thing to do is to contact the real estate agents in person. Without getting the proper information and nice price about your house or the property you want to buy, you may have no illusion where exactly to look. Unfortunately, there are few real estate agents who will tell you the true price and might aim to fetch as much money as they can from you, thus look out for the real estate agent that offers you the best property at best price or best deal to sell your property. Nevertheless, this can only be achieved by meeting several agents and then comparing the deal offered by all. In addition, also look at the number of resources real estate agent has and a large market plan, in order to make the best deal with the best customer.
Always check whether the real estate agent is certified or not as a fake real estate agent may put in some kind of trouble such as fake documents, invalid property and many more, which you have never expected. At the time of selecting the real estate agent, it is also very essential for you to have a commission list.

Always choose the agent, which will charge the fees if she or he finalizes the deal or if not then do not get befooled by any real estate agent by remunerating high commission. In addition, another thing, which you need to do is to judge the attitude of the real state agent.

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How a Minneapolis Real Estate Agent Can Help you

June 14th, 2011 by maureen | No Comments | Filed in Agents
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Finding a Minneapolis real estate agent will help you find a quality home in Minnesota’s largest city. With a population of over 370,000 individuals, Minneapolis offers its citizens an amazing array of entertainment, cultural, and sporting options to entertain them. When looking for a Minneapolis real estate agent, visit our site at www.localrealestateyellowpages.com where you will be able to peruse an extensive Minneapolis real estate agent list to help make your house hunting easier.

There are many different neighborhoods in Minneapolis and finding one suitable for you and your family if you have one can be a difficult task. A professional Minneapolis real estate agent will be able to offer you expert advice on which places are the most suitable for your situation. One thing to discuss with your Minneapolis real estate agent is the price range you are in when looking at homes. This information will allow your search to be more efficient.

A quality Minneapolis real estate agent will be able to provide you with a tailored listing of homes that fit your needs be they location, proximity to schools, or type of neighborhood. To find the best home for you, contact a Minneapolis real estate agent.

For more resources about Real estate agent directory or even about local real estate agents and especially about Atlanta real estate brokers please review these links.

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