What are the Traits of a Successful Realtor? There is more to selling real estate than just showing houses. A Realtor's success is based as much on what he does to ensure you get to the closing table as procuring a ready, willing and able buyer for your home. A successful agent will, amongst other things:
-Be skilled in computer applications to create compelling presentation materials for buyers and sellers.
-Maintain a database to efficiently manage client relationships (CRM).
-Know local neighborhoods and subdivisions, real estate inventories and real estate statistics.
-Leverage the Internet to gain maximum exposure for sellers' listings and target buyers' home searches.
-Have strong negotiation skills; knowing what to say, how to say it and when to say it.
-Be adept at handling short sale and foreclosure transactions.
-Obtain all available seller disclosures and addendums prior to writing an offer.
-Use appropriate forms for transaction processing (and know how to complete them properly).
-Know the importance of getting a mortgage pre-approval vs mortgage pre-qualification.
-Work with a reputable mortgage professional to explain all loan options.
-Be present at the home inspection and subsequent inspections.
-Meet the appraiser and provide comparable sales information.
-Manage the transaction with continuous support from offer through settlement and beyond.
So when you sit down with your prospective Realtor, it is important that you raise questions about what got him to this point in his career and what he is doing to ensure continued success in the industry. Remember, any agent can show houses but your Realtor should be a trusted resource when it comes to selling or buying a home.
This post has been authored by Eric Slifkin, REALTOR® serving South Florida's Treasure Coast. You can reach me at 888-288-1765, or visit my Web site at TreasureCoastHomeSales.com. As your resource for information on new or resale homes throughout the Treasure Coast, please be sure to contact me about any home you may find on the Web, yard sign or ad and I will research the property, arrange showings and handle all the details.
Great post, I want to be all that you wrote here..
Thanks, Fontella. It is a primer for what we must do on a daily basis to achieve ongoing success in real estate.
Eric- I couldn't agree more. Most times buyers just don't realize that they should, or can, interview agents and choose one agent to represent them. Calling the agent on the sign isn't always the best choice for a buyer.
Jen- The mindset of a buyer is often that only the listing agent can give them the best deal, not realizing having their own representation can be an advatage in negotiation and help them through misteps and bottlenecks along the way.
Eric, thanks for this posts --good tips. Thank you for sharing!