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Why Every Real Estate Agent Needs a Well-Written Agent Bio
But what's the smartest way to spend that money? Should you spring for ads in a homes magazine? Should you run weekly ads in the newspaper or on the radio or TV? Should you buy pens, notepads, and calendars imprinted with your name and hand them out? Should you sponsor a sports team at the local high school?
I believe you should spend a little of it on a well-written real estate agent bio.
You know you need a real estate website.
After all, the majority of consumers now go first to the web when they want to find a home or choose an agent. But when it comes to real estate websites, there are differences of opinion. Many agents create real estate sites that are all about the area, while others post custom copy that outlines the service that clients can expect. (Those are my favorites.)
Either way, because a good website is focused on the customer and his or her needs, the only places that a visitor can really learn anything that helps them "connect" with an agent is through their blog and their personal bio, or "about me" page. And even some blogs don't offer a clue, because they're all about new listings or the community.
The chance to "connect" is the reason why having a well written agent bio is so important.
Unfortunately, many agents use this space merely to list education and designations, and to repeat those tired old platitudes about "excellent customer service." I think that's a mistake - and a lost opportunity.
This is the spot where you have a chance to reveal the "real you." Here you can tie your past experiences and present passions into the service you provide.
Why does that matter? First, because your past experiences lend proof of why you're so good at what you do. Think how many of the traits of a top real estate agent were probably developed while pursuing earlier jobs or careers - or even while managing families. How about: active listening, patience, the ability to teach & explain, record keeping, organization, punctuality, mathematics, negotiation, and leadership.
And then there's knowledge you bring from past experiences - for instance, decorating or house construction.
Next, your present passions give insight into your personality and your value system.
Weaving your past and present experiences into your personal bio allows your prospects to consciously or subconsciously identify with you - and choose you because of that identification.
We humans tend to naturally trust people when we see them as somehow "like" us. And it doesn't take something dramatic to form that connection. For some, just learning that an agent gets up early to hit the golf course, work out at the gym, or go horseback riding before work could be the "I choose you" trigger. For others, it could be a shared interest in animal rescue, adult literacy, or feeding the hungry.
It could be something as simple as having children of a similar age or sharing an interest in gourmet cooking.
That connection will often be the deciding factor that draws clients to you - already predisposed to like and trust you.
That's almost as good as a personal referral.
In addition, once your bio is written, you'll use it on your website, on blogs like Active Rain or Real Estate Marbles, in your listing presentation, and on brochures. The best part of all, you pay for it one time, and keep using it until you have something to add.
For these reasons, investing in a well-written agent bio can be far more valuable than an ad in a homes magazine, or a series of 30-second spots on radio or TV - and it costs less, too!
Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter who specializes in writing for real estate and related industries.
She'll help you with one letter, or an entire marketing plan. For Real Estate agents and brokers who are ready to get full value from their websites, she'll be happy to put together an entire package - from the web copy to the lead generation packages that make an agent's phone ring.
Breaking Up With Your Real Estate Agent
** The Family Friend Problem **
While it may make sense to work with a real estate professional who is a family friend, this may not actually be the case. You will run the risk of offending your friend at the onset by not engaging his services, but that can be ameliorated by a simple conversation. "I don't want a business problem to harm our friendship."
The conversation on the other end of the scenario is much harder and much less likely to have the desired effect. It is almost impossible to say to a friend, "Why in the heck hasn't our house sold? Do you have a clue what you're doing?" -- and not wind up with a very personal argument on your hands. Ask yourself in the beginning what means more to you, selling your house or keeping your friend.
** Make Sure You Understand the Situation **
If, however, you do find yourself in the situation of being at odds with your agent friend, make sure you really know what's going on before you start casting blame. Ask for a new market analysis on your home. Then, quietly ask two or three other real estate professionals to confidentially do the same thing.
Sit down by yourself with no outside influences and compare the multiple analyses. If the real estate market in your area is indeed in shambles, as is the case in much of the country at this time, the failure of your home to sell quickly is likely not your friend's fault. At that stage, it makes more sense, and is much more peaceful to say, "What can we do to make the house more marketable?" or "Is there another strategy we can try?"
** Breaking Up is Hard to Do **
If the time has come, however, to "split the blanket" there are proper steps that must be taken, some of which are actual legal requirements. If your agent has listed your home for sale, you most likely signed a contract involving factors like list price, commission, and marketing strategies. The contract carries with it a specified length of representation.
If the contract contains a clause allowing it to be broken in writing by either party, there is no issue. Be aware, however, that some amount of commission may still be owed to the agent if you do then sell your home within a given period. If the contract stipulates a specified period before which it may not be voided, you are bound to honor that date by virtue of having signed the document.
** Do Your Reading First **
Obviously the potential of having to terminate your professional relationship with your agent is something you should consider before you sign the contract. Don't ever be uncomfortable about asking questions. Before you sign anything ask, "How can this contract be broken?" Verify anything you are told by carefully reading the fine print yourself. Make notes in the margin. Do not rely on your memory, and make sure you have a copy of any and all documents you sign.
** Try to Avoid Personality Clashes **
Many acrimonious relationships with agents boil down to personality clashes. Most of us have a small, still inner sense that tells us pretty quickly if we're going to get along with someone. If you have any reservations or negative feelings about your agent's personality and demeanor, don't work with that person! You should always choose your Realtor carefully. This is a professional with whom you are going to be working closely -- possibly for several months. As petty as it sounds, if the person's voice drives you up the wall, get another agent. Better that than actually pushing someone off that wall in a fit of annoyance!
** Talk With Your Agent Before Deciding to Fire Him **
In the vast majority of cases an honest conversation can resolve most conflicts between sellers and agents. Lack of information and a failure to communicate usually lie at the heart of these professional problems. As a seller, you are nervous and anxious to get a buyer and get your money. This is especially true for homeowners who have already purchased a new residence and are responsible for two mortgages.
Impatience and frustration often masquerade as real "fixable" problems and let's face it, your agent is your most convenient scapegoat. Who else are you going to blame when the sale doesn't go exactly as you envisioned? However, for your own peace of mind, make sure there truly is a problem before you fire your agent. There's not a real estate professional working today who would not fix this current market if it were in their power to do so.
REALTOR is a registered trademark of the National Association of Realtors.
What Is the Average Real Estate Agent Salary?
For many years, property agents have been able to keep a fixed income by selling commercial and non commercial properties. In many cities across the nation, the rate is around 6 percent. This of course is split between the buyer's agent and the seller's agent.
It is a difficult thing to explain economically how these rates have stayed steady for such a long period of time. It is a possibility that some agents band together and black list other ones, but this notion is not a certainty. There are a wide range of factors that can affect an agent's salary. Whether an agent uses his license to make his own deals is one factor, another is whether or not an agent serves as a manager in a brokerage.
Also an agent will make a bigger salary if he is involved in a sales role as opposed to just a management position. A regular broker usually acts as an agent that sells. They also employ other people as well. An agent's work ethic also plays a key role in a real estate agent's salary. Some agents only work part-time on the weekend, while many agents are employed in the commercial realm.
To be successful in real estate business it is important to work efficiently and consistently. It is even possible to earn a six figure salary if you apply yourself to the profession. It is important to note that many real estate agents also work as contractors while receiving pay for closing deals. It is also harder to get started as a commercial agent than as a residential one but if you are a hard worker then you can really excel as an agent, in this field.
If you take some time to research your options online, you can find the best options available to you when it comes to the world of real estate. There are many possibilities available to you to make a good living selling real estate if you apply yourself and work hard at it.
A Powerful Real Estate Agent's Listing Presentation
The listing presentation is your moment to show a prospective client all that you are worth. Every agent has their individuality on what works when presenting their listing presentation to a prospective seller. What makes for an effective 'listing presentation'?
Let us discuss the Listing Presentation when you go out on the appointment, one of the following will almost always happen:
a) You will be out priced by the competition, which happens all the time
b) You will be out-commissioned by the competition,
c) You will be out-bonded by the competition,
d) You will be out-advertised by the competition
e) You decide you do not want to take the listing.
It is critical when you walk out of the appointment to carefully look at these issues. You must look at these to determine which one actually took place, and note that the only one you have absolute control over is deciding not to take the listing.
It is important to devise a plan that will help you cut the length of your listing presentation.
Another way to cut the length of your presentation is to have a pre-listing package. Also, before you arrive at the appointment, remind yourself as you walk up to the door what your purpose is. Your purpose is to either take the listing, or turn it down in a short period of time.
While on the presentation, it is critical to spend more time discussing price, and less time discussing everything else. If we are in a price sensitive economy, then why do we spend so much time talking about the things that are not related to the price? Remember the old-fashioned training? Hide the price from the customer and never tell the customer the price until the absolute last minute. We cannot do that. We have to make sure that we bring the price up-front. Why? What does the seller want to discuss first? The price! They want to know how much they're going to get so they can continue making future plans.
Picking Your Real Estate Agent
If you want things to go smoothly, you should be careful when choosing your real estate agent. Your agent has influence on losing or gaining a significant amount of money on your home transaction. You must be diligent when choosing a real estate agent -- first, you have to look for a real estate agent that has experience.
Never go to a novice for advice. Many people simply choose their friends or acquaintences as their realtor, but something as important as buying or selling a home shouldn't simply be handed over to a friend. Referrals from friends/family are an important consideration, but not the only one.
Choose an agent that has at least two years of experience in both the submarket you're in, as well as the specific property type you're dealing with. If you want to buy a home in the suburbs, a realtor that focuses on downtown properties won't be the best match for you, even if they're the best realtor downtown. Similarly if you want to sell your single family home, don't use an apartment broker --- there are ins and outs of the home sale that an apartment broker won't always be familiar with.
Also ensure that your agent is a licensed realtor. Licensing helps weed out some of the people that talk a good game, but can't back it up with all the appropriate rules and regulations.
You should interview several real estate agents. This is imperative. In the interview, you will be able to discuss things such as fees, how the agent recommend the transaction happen, commissions and much more. Interviewing the agent will help you learn a little bit about their commitment, experience and responsiveness.
There are many horror stories about picking the wrong agent. Agents that did little/no work, yet still expected a big commission. Or worse, agents that made errors that cost people money, and then still expected a big commission check.
Help protect yourself from this type of situation by doing some upfront due diligence in picking your agent, and save yourself some heartache and money. Be patient when choosing and don't go running to the first real estate agent that comes your way. Good luck in finding the right real estate agent and good luck in getting the best deal you can get!
The Need To Hire A Real Estate Agent When Buying a Home
We live in a big, wide world where our eyes can't even see over the edge of the next building much less the horizon. We can know so little of the location we are living even if we have lived there for a long time. It might be for lack of interest or maybe just lack of chance to explore. Finding the right home would be far easier and time consuming if we didn't have to scour the city ourselves to find just the perfect one. The need to hire a professional home finder or a real estate agent would be the ways to go.
It is not for lack of trust in ourselves that we ask help from others, but it is because of the simple idea that we can be much more efficient if people work together. A real estate agent's job is to find homes for sale for their clients. Homes that are either ones that are already built or find the perfect real estate property to build one on. We go to property estate agents because they are the ones who know of the places that are for sale or for lease or in any other way it is set. Some of these might not even be readily available to the public without the choice help from real estate agents.
Property estate agents don't always work alone, but they work with a realty group or company. These are places where people choose to give out information on the homes or estate property they wish to sell or to be done away with. Finding the right real estate agent would almost be as effective as finding the right agency.
Closing the deal would even be far easier if you have hired a real property agent, because they will be the one to be in charge of taking care of all the papers that concerns the change of ownership of a property. A rather daunting task for others, but with the help of a real agent, it would just be as simple as saying "Thank you." All you might even think about more is where to put your favorite couch in or where the twin's rooms will be. Licensed property agents are invaluable for all such transactions as these.
Top Tips For Choosing A Real Estate Agent
2. Check out ratings and reviews - Before seeing all the potential estate agents in person, it can be really useful and will save you time to check out online ratings and reviews. While these ratings are never 100% accurate, if an agency has consistently negative reviews for example, it is better to avoid them.
3. Referrals - Most people still find estate agencies through recommendations from family, friends or co-workers. Ask the people around you if they know a good estate agent, and about their experiences with other local agents. You can almost always rely on a recommendation from a person you trust, and you'll find out more information about the estate agency about how they treat their customers, and how reliable and professional they really are.
4. Contact more estate agents - Contacting more than one estate agent is essential to find the one that you can most rely on. Especially if the real estate transaction involves ongoing contact with the estate agency, it is important to choose an agency that you communicate with and that you can trust. You'll find it much easier to choose once you go and see the estate agents in person.
5. Know what questions to ask when you meet the agent - Depending on why you need an estate agent, to sell or rent a house for example, think beforehand about what questions to ask from the agents and compare their answers. Try to get to know as much as possible about how their business operates, how many deals they have per month, and pay close attention to their attitude to your requests and needs. If your agent seems rushed or doesn't seem to be interested in your specific expectations, it is better to choose another one, as you'll certainly have long term problems communicating with such an agent.
Real Estate Agent Reviews
Finding an honest, hard working and effective real estate agent to buy or sell your house for you is very important. Using an agent that does not do their job effectively can end up costing you large amounts of money and wasted time. Many agents require their clients to sign a contract to work with them and no one else for 6 months. So, once you commit to working with a realtor, you really want to be sure that they will be able to do everything for you that you are expecting them to.
Why You Need To Read Reviews - Reading many reviews from realtors past clients will give you a good idea of what it's like to work with your prospective realtor, without the risk.
The Review Site You Use Matters - It does make a difference which review site you do your research from. Not all review sites are the same. Many of them are easily manipulated by the real estate agents themselves.
You want to find a site that either has a high amount of traffic and therefore, lots of reviews or one with reviews that are monitored by a staff to prevent against manipulation of the reviews.The Best Review Sites Are Usually Membership Sites - With a membership review site, the site owners have the ability to better monitor the reviews. There are many ways people can manipulate their own reviews, by posting from different email addresses and other ways. With a better managed review site, the quality and honesty of the reviews should be much more accurate.
Tips for Relationship Selling in 2012
At the centre of the relationship selling process, will always be prospecting and cold calling. Without that momentum at the top of your sales pipeline, the business simply does not produce the results you desire and deserve.
So what is relationship selling and how can you use it in your commercial property career? First and foremost let's look at the people that you must get to know. Consistently and successfully you must connect with:
Business leaders
Tenants
Property owners
Owner occupiers
Landlords
Property Investors
Property Service professionals such as solicitors, financiers, and accountants
So the list is probably quite logical to you, but it does require a business model and strategy. That is where relationship selling becomes foundational to generating opportunity in and through your local area.
Your ultimate target in relationships selling should be to generate quality listings as a commercial real estate agent. The agent or salesperson that controls the quality stock in the local area will always be the agent of choice. Those listings will give your database momentum and value, providing you keep the constant contact process underway. Those listings will also give you better signboard penetration and market dominance; the agent with the most signboards on the better properties will be the agent that gets the enquiry.
Commercial real estate is an expensive and complex level of investment. Knowledge will always need to be your partner in generating leads and opportunities. The people that we talk to and interact with are astute and knowledgeable when it comes to strategies and facts within commercial and retail real estate. The more local knowledge that you have regards the property market, the better value you are to your clients and they will have more reason to listen to you. Relevance is the key. Everyone needs to know about the changes and dynamics of the local property market; accumulate the facts and use them in your dialogue or sales pitch.
There are four distinct stages to the relationship selling process. Every prospect and contact should be taken through these distinct stages. It takes time but the rewards are significant.
Establishing good levels of trust with your prospects will be foundational to longer term relations. Most property transactions take months if not years to bring to culmination. The levels of trust allow this to occur. Constant contact with relevant information is the key to successful communication and connection.
Good levels of trust will eventually allow you to understand the property needs of the client. Those needs can be immediate or long-term and will be relevant to their business operations and investment needs. As part of this you will need to understand the types of property and location that best suits each client.
Many commercial property transactions are facilitated off market; presenting solutions is part of the process. These off market deals occur because an alert and high performing salesperson has put together the needs and opportunities of two different parties. Your database will allow you to do this providing you take personal ownership of its integrity and accuracy.
Constant contact with a wide variety of property owners, tenants, investors, and business leaders will keep your pipeline of opportunity moving. This is a daily process and forms the fourth and final part of the relationship selling model. Regrettably many salespeople in the industry struggle with an ongoing contact model and database maintenance. Discipline is the key.
These 4 facts will create significant opportunity in 2012 when acted upon and implemented as part of a successful property salespersons business model. They get more referrals and resales and move to the top of their field.
Dealing With Real Estate Agents London
There are all sorts of real estate agents in London. Of course there are. It's a huge city, with more real estate than it knows what to do with. The proliferation of real estate agents London, unfortunately, means that you stand as much of a chance of running into a bad one as a good one – unless you know what to look for in an agent that can really get you what you want out of a city as large and complicated as the UK capital.
So what should you look for in an estate agent for a major city? It's best if we start by thinking about the things you should look to avoid. The worst kind of estate agent, for anything other than impersonal and depressing lets that are often over priced (and how would you know, unless you were an estate agent yourself – in which case you'd be finding your own let or buy?), is the multi location brand name agent.
Why? Because the employees of these things are locked into fierce competition with each other for company cars and bonuses, which basically means they'll sell anything they can to anyone who will listen. No – real estate agents London, if they are going to find something good, have to be at the right level. And that level is a bit higher up the chain of class and command: a personally run business, operating two or three offices in good locations across the city.When you use a real estate agent with whom you can build a personal relationship, you are much more likely to find what you want at the price you can afford to pay for it. This kind of agent is, of course, as willing and anxious to sell or let to you as all the other – but he, or she, knows the difference between ramming any old thing down your throat and actually undertaking to find you what you want and what you need.
Here, with this kind of real estate agents London, you find the difference between bad and good sales. A good sales person, or lettings agent, will find his or her client what they want. That's the pitch, that's the hook, that's what the price is for. Go to one of these real estate agents and you know you will get something perfect. You know it'll be sold to you, and that you will pay the price asked for it – but you also know that it will be genuinely what you require.Real estate agents of this calibre make their money by providing a service people really want, which is their guarantee as well as their calling card. Lower level estate agents make their money by a kind of carpet bombing approach, which leaves everyone with a sour taste in their mouths.
So it's not as hard to find the best real estate agents London has to offer after all. Look for the quietly classy offices, with links to two or three other locations – and walk into a world where you know you will get exactly what you want.
Real Estate Agent: When Should You Tell Your Client To Get Lost?
Many clients are like children - they need to be told how to behave.
Believe it or not, the average person getting into your car may not know how you get paid. Now, if you add that ignorance to the fact that people can generally manage to justify anything in their mind if they want to, you can see how you can get duped into wasting an afternoon (or two). In other words, they either don't know how commission sales work or they have some understanding, but choose to pretend that you are also getting paid a salary, so it's OK to suck up your time and gas.
I have been selling real estate for more than 25 years. Here's what I do. I get them in the car or have them follow me to see something if I sense they are worth it. I don't lay a bunch of hard questions on them at the get-go because that's not a way to make an initial connection.
Next (either at the first house or in the car on the way) I gently tell them how real estate sales work. I make sure they understand that I don't make any money unless they buy through me. I give them all the standard reasons why they want to work with just me. Finally, I ask them if they are working with anyone else. Sure, if they give me some indication before we get in the car, I'll flat out (but nicely) ask them if they are working with anyone else.
Should you NEVER work with a client who works with other agents?
I have a client who works with other agents. He has always worked with other agents. He is one of the best clients I have ever had. He's been my client for more than 25 years. Some years, I have sold him 5 to 7 residential and commercial properties. What is the KEY to our relationship?
From the beginning, he's been honest. He's an investor. He has relationships with about 20 other real estate agents in our valley. Which ever agent brings him a potential deal, that's the agent he works that deal with. He has never varied from this.
The above example is completely different from the client who lets you run them around.
Unlike the client who lets you run them around and then buys with another agent (sometimes the very property you showed them) my client gave me loyalty by the deal, but I had to bring the deal to him. I have been able to sell him so much property because his system would cause me to look for deals that fit what he liked to buy.
WARNING:
My investor is the only client I have had out of probably a thousand clients, who had such a system. IF you think your client is trying to use a similar system, write a one page simple contract that clearly states the rules of the game. Carefully look the investor straight in the eye. IF you can trust them, go ahead and find something to sell to them. If not, tear up the contract and say good bye. Clients who waste your time can ruin your career.
Interviewing a Real Estate Agent
Want to sell a house and don’t know where to start? Well start off with choosing the right real estate agent that will do the job efficiently for you. However, with the plethora of real estate agents operating independently or in an organization, what options do you have to filter out just the appropriate guy for the job? Following are tips that might help you prepare well for the interview you are about to hold with a prospective listing agent to sell your house for good money.
- The price factor is undoubtedly the most important of all with the kind of competition we have in the real estate market today. You cannot just estimate a price without proper back up. And when you hire a real estate agent it becomes a major part of his job to list a price that has sufficient spine to it. Check whether your agent has thoroughly done his homework by comparing the other sales in the locality and whether they have categorized the positive and negatives of the other sales as compared to that of your property before they put a price tag on your property.
Their job is not only to satisfy you with the right price on the property but also to convince the buyer and the buyer’s agent with that price and right amount of back up for the same.- When it comes to the marketing aspect, ask your agent what the action plan is. Make sure he is up to date with the current market demands and harnesses the modern technologies and strategies to market your house. Apart from providing colored pictures and virtual tours to the prospective buyers you could have a video created to reach to millions of customers through the internet. You never know who watches the video and how lucky you get.
- Do not be ignorant, show your agent that you are not someone who is fully dependent on them and is much informed.
Humbly ask the agent for their recent listing history from the multiple listing service.- A good listing agent would surely have previous customer testimonials to produce to you to show his credibility. You might even double check by calling their previous clients and ask about their service. As a customer you have the right to thoroughly analyze the credibility of your real estate agent. If you have come across a certain agent via word-of-mouth, this step is already taken care of in that case.
- If your real estate agent surely is a professional he would not hesitate to look around your property and come up with quick tips on how to showcase your house effectively. The look of the exterior and interiors of the house is crucial when it comes to creating an effective first impression on the buyer. Highlight all the positive angles to your property well enough to attract attention and do not forget to fix whatever that has to be fixed before sale. So if your agent is able to support you in this aspect he knows what he is doing.
- Make sure you know what procedures your listing agent is going to undertake in showing the house to the buyers. Some listing agents work with appointment only or have other strict rules that might put off the buyer and you might lose out on a great sale. So make sure your agent is flexible enough and always available.
- Make sure your listing agent informs you on time about the real estate bubble in your neighborhood. Ask them about it beforehand which will help you identify the right agent by the way they respond to your query.
Keep these tips in mind and go ahead and execute the sale of your property with just the right real estate agent.
DallasRealEstate24-7.com are experts in the DFW real estate market. If you have any questions about McKinney TX real estate or Dallas real estate please do not hesitate to contact us through our website.
How to Choose a Real Estate Agent That Is Right For You
How important is finding the right tour guide, or the right realtor, when you're buying a home? Does it really matter who a person chooses to be their agent? And, can the service really vary that much from person to person?
It is so crucial to find a real estate agent that is suited for your needs; it can make a huge difference in the level of success you have when buying or selling a home. You should never choose somebody because their mother plays the piano at church, or their father is a soccer coach on the weekends. But so many times, I hear that is the very reason why someone has chosen their real estate professional; because of an outside connection. They are trying to help someone out; trying to help them get started. But we don't make decisions in that manner for other things in our life, so why should we do that when it comes to one of our largest investments? For instance, if I were going to have heart surgery, I'd want to make sure that my doctor has performed that type of surgery more than once.
What are some of the things that a person who is looking to buy a home should be looking for in an agent?
Experience
Experience is one thing that can not be surpassed in any other formula. Experience is absolutely crucial. How many years have they been in the business? How many homes have they sold? I've had listing appointments where the agent had not sold any property for a year and a half and they had tied the property up for six month; so experience is a really important issue.
Availability
Unfortunately a lot of agents have gone to part-time status because it's been so difficult in the marketplace out there. Make sure that the agent you choose is given your cell phone number and that they are available all the time - it's really important.
Areas of Expertise
So often an agent is a specialist in one particular area of town, or one particular town, and if you're not in that area you're out of their comfort zone. Do you really want to explore the purchase of your largest asset with somebody who is not familiar with that area? I wouldn't.
And something I think a lot of people don't think about is whether or not their agent has knowledge of the different financing options that are out there right now. Having this type of knowledge is crucial because just a 0.5% interest on a $150,000 loan over its term can mean $16,000 lost or saved, so it's really important that the realtor direct you to the proper lending source.
Negotiation Skills; How do you find out if that person has those?
Negotiation skills comes back to experience. I was talking to an agent the other day who says she never negotiates because she doesn't want to offend anybody. Well my goodness, in this kind of market if you're paying cover price, you're probably paying too much. So it's really important to find an agent who has strong negotiation skills; the last time I personally bought, I made everybody mad during negotiations but I said "Hey, you never know until you ask."
What about inspectors?
This is another huge factor. Once you buy a home it belongs to you, so you want to make sure that the home has been dissected by somebody who is absolutely thorough. It is such a crucial part of it.
There is a unique home-selling technique that has given rise to great success for many people.
Anyone looking to buy a home that has one to sell, should look for an agent who is willing to cut their costs in half by lowering the commission and doing their portion for free; the selling part can be done totally free of charge. The reason an agent has the ability to do that is because they can make their commission when you use their services to purchase your next home. Essentially, an agent sells two homes to make money on one, but that allows people in today's market to sell their homes when many of them would otherwise be sitting there for years at a time.
5 Reasons Real Estate Brokers Will Give You for Not Selling Your Home FSBO - And Why They Are Wrong
Therefore no broker is ever going to tell you that selling your home without their help is a good idea. In fact many of them will do their very best to scare you off the idea for good. Here are just five of the reasons a real estate broker may give you that FSBO is the wrong way to go when selling your home as well as the reality behind those statements
"You don't have the right negotiating skills" - This one is real biggie that agents like to throw out at those considering selling their home for sale by owner. Yes they have been wheeling and dealing for years but there are plenty of resources to help FSBO sellers negotiate in just as savvier manner.
"You'll never get your property listed in the best places" - Real estate agents will often make out that the only way for you to get your home listed on the big websites where home buyers tend to begin their search for properties is to let them place the ad (for a hefty fee).
"Have you thought about stranger danger?" - Some real estate brokers also like to pull the "stranger danger" card when discussing for sale by owner selling. They will scare homeowners with tales of bad bad people doing bad bad things because some poor FSBO seller did not know how to "screen" potential buyers properly.
So what is it that agents do to screen the strangers they bring into your home? Do they have some special way to check a persons background that you would not have? No, they take a copy of their drivers license and make sure they have an address and phone number on file. Both of which you can do yourself.
"You'll have no time for yourself" - Real estate brokers will remind FSBO sellers that they will have to be available to take potential buyers calls most of the time and show their home at a time that is convenient for the buyer as often as possible. Think of the disruption they will tell you.
Actually arranging your own showing times with a potential buyer directly is a lot less of a hassle than having a real estate broker ring you up while you are in the shower and tell you that they need to bring a buyer over right now. And as for those phone calls? Potential buyers will be able to get you at 7pm while all they are likely to get out of calling a real estate broker at that time in the evening is voice mail.
"You don't understand all the legal issues" - No you probably don't, but seller's resources can refer you to a good solicitor who does. And you would still have to hire a legal team even if you decided to work with a real estate broker so that argument is a bit of a non issue in the end.
Virtues Of A Leslieville Real Estate Agent
Whether you are planning on buying a house or selling a home in Leslieville, Toronto, hiring a good real estate agent needs very careful consideration. A real estate agent can make the difference between a successful deal and a terminated negotiation. He or she is responsible for setting the right buyer up with the right seller. Therefore, they must have the right knowledge and skill in the business.
Buying or selling a house is probably one of the most important transactions in your life you cannot afford to mess up. Real estate agents involve themselves in these deals every day, so they already understand the flow of things. They know how the supply and demand for housing properties move in the neighborhood, as well as the cost movement per season. This is why hiring a good professional agent in Leslieville would surely help you.
There are three major virtues that excellent Leslieville, Toronto real estate agents must have: professionalism, integrity, and patience. Professionalism starts with being conscious with time, schedules, and detailed reports. The agent must practice proper documentation procedures, and he or she must be able to handle and close deals fair and square.
Another virtue that estate agents must have is integrity. It covers both firm adherence to business policies and sincere dedication to helping clients. Good real estate agents think about their clients interests above all else and sees to it that they get top quality service and the best piece of real estate they deserve. The integrity of these agents greatly reflects the integrity of the Leslieville real estate company they represent.
Agents have to understand that moving on to better options is necessary when negotiations do not sway towards the clients favor. An excellent real estate agent Toronto has is patient enough to understand this, and never puts his or her client at risk.
3 Profitable YouTube Marketing Tips For Real Estate Agents
As a social medium, YouTube features exclusive user generated content and facilitates video sharing, commenting, rating and the ability to create special interest channels that attract friends and subscribers who share interests and can interact with each other, also allowing users to submit videos and wade through the massive video section by searching for keywords. Although many search the YouTube video library to entertain and inform, the growing percentage for business use is rising.
I want to provide the 3 profitable YouTube marketing tips for the real estate agents in the next section. YouTube can be utilized for answering users' questions, supplying how-to content about a process or a property, reviewing, instructions on what to do next, expert opinions or interviews and etc.
It is a forum for establishing "social authority"and becoming "socially savvy"that many real estate agents are far under-utilizing and not benefitting like they should.
1. Connect your YouTube video back to your personal blog or website - This is the day and age of the entrepreneur. Prospective buys want to buy from an agent that can be viewed as an autonomous expert, not a company rep.
2. Put Your Contact Information in the video - Over 50% of all YouTube videos are watched on a device other than a personal computer or a laptop. Mobile phones have already surpassed PC's and laptop messages sent via Facebook and other social media platforms.
3. Put together a media kit for prospective buys - When I say media kit, I don't mean an overview "spec-sheet" on a said property, I'm referring to something that brands you as an independent expert and authority figure.
Truth be told, nobody cares about the company that you run your real estate business through - they care about the relationship they have with you. Your brochures, signs, websites and propaganda pieces have never "closed the deal", the internal feeling a buyer had about you did. The "old age" has evolved into the economy of today, but how about you, have you arrived in the "new age" yet?
To learn more profitable YouTube marketing tips for real estate agents, subscribe to The Ally Advertising Group's free report, Being "Socially Savvy" In The Web 3.0 Era and take your business to the next level. I love YouTube and enjoy share YouTube marketing tips for real estate agents that are open-minded, forward thinking and who realize MLS is a tool that provides no distinction anymore.
The Changing Role of the Real Estate Agent
It stands to reason that this shift will, and is, also changing the role which traditional real estate agents (also known as 'real estate brokers') play within this sector. Traditionally, the value of real estate agents has been perceived as agents who have expert knowledge in the value of homes, the ability to run effective marketing campaigns, and the ability to negotiate effectively with potential buyers.
With the emergence of a plethora of new 'For Sale by Owner' portals, the role of the traditional real estate agent is also changing. Many of these portals now provide as part of their service, detailed statistical reports on comparable sales within a given area, which gives the seller a solid indication of what their own home may be worth. It is however, the marketing side of things in which these portals provide the highest value to the seller. Many 'For Sale By Owner' websites do not only publish advertisements to their own website; they often always publish these listings to the same 3rd party websites which the traditional estate agent would do, and at a fraction of the cost. In terms of negotiating, the seller always has the final say in what they are willing to accept as a sale price, and in this respect, the agent's ability to negotiate on the seller's behalf is often over-rated.
Real estate agents play an important role in the community, and this role should be acknowledged. They are after all, professionals who are engaged in this sector on a full-time basis, and who are (for the most part) generally up-to-date with what is happening within a given area. Therefore, it is hard to imagine that agent will disappear completely. What is to be expected though, is that the range of services offered will change over time. Sellers now have the same access to statistical research with regards to house prices as the agents themselves, they can often achieve the same number of inquiries by using the services of For Sale by Owner websites, and they are, and always have been, perfectly capable of negotiating with the buyers by themselves. In terms of contractual legalities, it is the case that in most western countries that it is perfectly acceptable for a seller to enter into a contract of sale with the buyer themselves. They do not need to be a licensed real estate agent to do this.
What then remains for the traditional real estate agent? Plenty. Experts who are continually conducting business within the real estate sector and specifically within a certain area, will generally still be able to assist a seller in a meaningful and valuable way. However, for a selection of services (such as the marketing), they no longer provide advantages to the seller which would previously never have been available to the seller.
For Sale by Owner portals will therefore never completely replace real estate agents. What they will most certainly do however, is reduce the cost of selling a home by virtue of the fact that sellers are no longer reliant on the estate agent as a 'one-stop-shop' for managing every aspect of the sale, and selecting only those services which they feel they either do not have the time for, or are not willing to spend time on themselves (such as market research to establish the correct selling price). All this means manifests itself in greater choice for sellers, and the potential for sellers to save thousands of dollars in commissions, by taking control and playing a more active role in actual sale of their own real estate.
Professional Home Real Estate Agent Service
Finding the right professional realty service for you just might be easier than you think. Of course, you can perform an internet search but that seems so impersonal when you're dealing with such a personal matter; your own real estate. There's the phone book, and although it might list realtors in your own backyard, it's just a pig-in-a-poke if you have no idea who these people are. You can always ask your friends, relative, co-workers or even the man on the street but if you don't know the right questions to ask about real estate agencies, you could be in for a bad experience.
So, how do you find the right professional home real estate agent who has the best team and realty listings behind them? Aside from the standard questions about realtor fees, lock boxes, length of seller's contract, and how they will promote your home, there are a number of important things you should consider before hiring a real estate service. Depending on your special needs, which, especially today with so many homes underwater or caught in the short sale or foreclosure morass.
Here are some common sense and not so common questions you should consider.
How many years of experience does the service have?
Do you disclose all aspects of a property like termite troubles, previous fire damage, traffic or noise troubles, bad neighbors, or do I need to ask?
Do their agents possess expertise in particular areas like specific neighborhoods or transactions, like foreclosures or short sales?
Ask them to give you some examples of their successes in these areas.
Do they have letters from happy home buyers or home sellers? Ask if you can speak with a couple of these satisfied customers.
No matter what side of the sale you're on, there are a number other considerations you need to ask about before you sign the agreement drawn up to protect both of your interests. Brokers don't always disclose all offers. Otherwise, your broker might get offers they don't feel is high enough (to suit him/her). So make sure there's a promise to disclose all offers in any agreement you decide to sign.
Believe it or not, brokers will and do lower their percentages and offer discounts. Although their reasons may vary the fact remains, they are willing to negotiate to get your business. Consider every angle before you lock yourself in.
Fees For Real Estate Agents no More
Marketing your own house can be easy, just by following some guidelines and it can save you money by the thousands.
The sudden property rise have people thinking about selling their homes but the fee on selling a property can take a toll on the possible profit. Some of the rates involved in selling a house cannot be avoided but there is one costly fee that’s avoidable and that’s by not getting a real estate agent. The task of selling your very own home is very manageable and you can even save ,000 on a 0,000 sale that could have gone straight to the real estate agent.
The elements involved in doing your own sale are lots of advertising and time. Good advertising is essential if you want something noticed, handling some phone calls and managing home inspections yourself can set things apart between an unsatisfactory profit and a beneficial return.
People find the task of selling their own house a bit daunting but once you try it its really simple.
All you need to do is take some nice photos of your property, write some description about it and put up an ad for it, Simple right?You need to keep in mind when organizing your own deal is that you’re not selling a boring building but you’re putting a home up for sale. To get you started here are some useful tricks.
1) Include in the description your most preferred side of the house and why you like it.
2) Write down some background info on the area that’s easily accessible and within walking distance. You could also recommend your preferred cafes, restaurants, parks, beaches.
3) Can suggest planting flowers and herbs with fragrant flowers in the garden or around the house to create a more soothing atmosphere.
4) Note down your favorite place in the house where you enjoy relaxing and having coffee breaks, tea time and doing your hobbies.
5) Compose up to 150 words describing your home.
6) Make sure that your photo doesn’t include unwanted eye sores like cars parked by neighbors in the background and garbage bins which doesn’t help your advertising.
7) Spruce things up and present your home at its finest when taking the photos both inside and outside your house.
8) Make things lively and warm with some color by capturing eye captivating features of the property but don’t over do it.
9) Its much more manageable and efficient if you use digital photos also keep a back up or save the photos in a CD or USB.
This way you can process the photos anywhere.10) Its wise to advertise your estate in a much well known newspaper and double up the ads on the web.
If you’re not up for the whole creative process of coming up with a visual presentation ad on your property you can always hire an ad specialist for the job. It won’t cost as much as hiring a real estate agent, a professional advertiser can promote your home with a sellable description for around the sum of 0. Professional photographers are even up for the job and they do this stuff for real estate agents. One pro on photography Neville Prosser is even offering eye catching photos for your ad for only 0 you can check his work and contact him through his website (http://www.nevilleprosser.com.au). You can also put a post in the Central Coast Advocate for 8 the ad comes in glossy 1/8 page for a much bigger scale just add some few extra ,514 for a ½ page ad. If you also want to post online Domain.com.au only charges 5 for one month.
It really doesn’t matter if you hire a professional to do the creative stuff or do it yourself you still save thousands out of the job. With you handling the advertising you can choose to target specific buyers or even attract more and who knows maybe you can wrap up the deal for more than what you expect.
Always keep in mind that there’s a big difference on a mediocre ad and a great advertisement. Common and standard ads go for common buildings while quality and effort go for residential properties.
Real Estate Agents Will Get You the Ideal Price for Your Home
A high percentage of the properties on sale change hands through real estate agents as they are immensely experienced in this field. They help you to get the best possible deal in the location of your choice. Taking the help of a real estate agent is the right thing to do if you do not wish to overpay for the property you are interested in. The agents start off by presenting the rates that are prevalent in the area of the house. A better loan amount can also be obtained with the help of the agent. The agent will help you to cut down on the price of the house considerably after a series of negotiations.
The seller can also reap the benefits of using a real estate agent as they will put in place a marketing plan that is aimed at fetching the highest price for your piece of property. Common methods of marketing in the property world are brochure distribution, open houses, showing the house to interested parties and placing ads through various information channels.
Real estate agents are equipped with the right tools to calculate the right price for the property after taking into consideration several aspects related to the property like proximity to hospitals and schools, facilities available, overall infrastructure and property tax in the area. These are some of the common aspects that play an important role in fixing the price of the house.
Real estate agents are quite advantageous for both the sellers and the buyers for similar reasons. People can simply walk into your house that is for sale and waste your time if they have no intention of buying it. The agents are careful enough to only bring in prospective clients. Similarly, they are skilled in negotiation tactics that acts as a great weapon for the buyer. The agent will remain till the deal is closed out completely by taking care of any hassles that may hinder the deal.
Canadian Real Estate Agents and Their Particularities
If you are interested in learning which are the best particularities or moral traits that are best defining Canadian realtors or Canadian real estate agents, kudos for you. You are about to discover some amazing bits of information on these people and their abilities to change one’s life completely. It also probably means that you are just inches away of buying or selling a home, a condo, a townhouse or an office space, and you want to make sure that the type of realtor you are going to choose is going to be part of the expert-type real estate agents on the market.
First of all, a Canadian real estate agent, just like Chinese or European real estate agents have to possess some powerful persuasion traits, high morals and a great degree of responsibility; they have to be dedicated creatures that can focus all of their attention on satisfying their clients (more than one client at a time, of course) and juggle with offers, bids, mortgage payments and clients; requests at the tip of their fingers.
They have to know how to multitask, they need to be highly organized and well trained, and experience is another professional quality it is best that they have. Selling ice to an Eskimo could turn into a living hell for a complete novice or a stroll in the park for a real estate agent that has been practicing his career since as long as he can remember. Trick question: whom would you rather work with, a newbie in the field or someone highly experienced? We thought so. After all, we are talking about investments that could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions, in time. We are talking about your very own future, and we are also referring to the future of your kids and other heirs.Returning to the rest of the personality or job-related traits Canadian real estate agents need to show proof of, we cannot mention qualities such as having a great eye for detail, being a truly sociable person and having tons of contacts.
Engaging real estate agents are always going to be gaining a lot more ground when compared to grumpy real estate agents that no one really wants to be around of.Another critical trait any highly trained Canadian real estate agent is required to show is his area of expertise or knowledge in regards to the city or area he is serving. In other words, an Alberta real estate agent should be able to cater to the needs of all those buyers who are interested in finding some nice properties in Airdrie, Calgary, Edmonton, Fort Mcmurray, Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat or Red Deer. This does not necessarily mean such a real estate agent should actually be a Red Deer real estate agent, or a Calgary Real Estate Agent. Selecting Alberta real estate agents should be more than enough, as all of them should be able to have some solid roots in the area, and tons of experience to cover your every request.
Moreover, a British Columbia real estate agent should be able to inform you on all the homes for sale in areas such as Victoria or Vancouver; therefore, if you are searching for Victoria real estate agents or Vancouver real estate agent, you might as well opt for a real estate company that can provide you with an excellent British Columbia real estate agent.
The same goes for Ontario and cities such as Barrie or Hamilton and the Ontario real estate agents you should be able to come across there. Once you have managed to identify the most suitable Canadian real estate agent that can cater to your every house-selling or house-buying need, and once you are sure you have found a person whom you can trust completely, it is time to move forward and see them in action.
After contacting them and having your first face to face encounter, you should be quick to decide whether your collaboration is going to be a lucky or successful one, or if you are better off looking for some other real estate agents to interview. If the Ontario real estate agents you are able to contact can answer two of your questions, it is advisable you keep in touch with them. The two questions refer to the reasons why the owners of the house you are interested in have decided to sell their place, and the second query should be on the possibility of getting a lower price for the home. As long as your Alberta or your British Columbia real estate agents are able to sincerely answer both of these questions, you could say they have one step away from becoming your next agents.
Real Estate Agents
Real estate agents can also be found in Canada as well. These agents had served a lot of factors for the people. This is the company which provide people with different information and at time they needs to make good contacts with their customers and in some other terms it has been found out that they are very much known for the purchase and the sale of the property on good terms. At time it also happens that people can also make the purchase of the property on mortgage of pledge items as well. It basically depends upon the person entirely that in what circumstances the purchase needs to take place.
Apart from the buying information, the selling of good information is also made available to people and the real estate are the ones which provide them with all such information. In all these circumstances it is best to contact a person who had been very much experienced in the dealing field as dealing with clients requires a lot of efforts and skills.
All those skills are needed to be possessed by the person and the person who had been a professional one would be willing to work with on behalf on that specified person. Thus this thing ensures that a person is making a good deal and an educated one also.Sometimes it has been found out that it is very difficult for people to find out a person who is not much qualified and thus can also not make good purchase and sale deals as well as they do not found to be a professional one as well. It depends upon the person that what sort of dealer they contact and in what point in time that specific deal needs to be made. The agent and estates also provide people with other items as well such as the homes which are given to people on rent and even at time they also provide people with small cottages as well.
People has been working a lot for this thing and thus many people always try their best to contact a professional and a expertise real estate person for this thing.The person who is doing the sale or the purchase also has an effect of the deal of the contract as well. At time it can also be seen that people are many times provided with homes that they suit the most and this things takes a lot of time as the person may not find the required home to be a good one or even it cannot also be located in the desired place as well. Of a person wants to find a home or any other place in Canada then it is best to contact the real estate who deals in the sale and purchase in Canada. It can also be found out that people at times want the homes outside Canada then in this situation they have to find out such a dealer who deals in this thing and some of the companies are present who deals in all this.
Visit Mississauga Homes For Sale, Mississauga Homes
Dialer Selection for Real Estate Agents
There are three types of dialer:
Predictive dialer,
Power Dialer and
Automatic dialer
What is predictive dialer & how do predictive dialers work?
Predictive dialer is a PC based software program that calls a list of contacts as per programming instructions. Predictive dialing is a system of outbound calling that dials without an agent on the line. The dialer places numerous calls simultaneously and, when a live answer is detected, it automatically transfers the call to an available agent. This dialer is predictive because it anticipates when the next agent will be available and when the next live answer will be detected. It is all predicted based on calling patterns it observes.
Predictive dialers work best for call center environments where there are multiple agents available to take calls.
There need to be agents available for the dialer to transfer a call to in order to avoid dropping calls, which count towards the abandonment rate. If there are not enough agents available for calls to be routed to, the allowed abandonment rate of 3% can potentially be surpassed, which would be a violation of federal laws.What is Power dialer & how do it work?
Power dialing is also called outbound calling but, unlike predictive dialers, the agent is already on the line. The agent begins the calling session and, when a live answer is detected, the call is patched through to the agent.
There is no transferring of calls because, in this case, the agent is already live on the phone.Power dialers are great for single-agent scenarios or in a remote-agent environment as it is not necessary to have multiple agents standing by for calls to be transferred to. In general, the abandonment rate does not come into play as the majority of power dialers dial on one line at a time, so dropped calls happen infrequently. A single-line power dialer makes 75-80 calls per hour.
What is Auto dialer & how does it work?
Auto dialer is same like power dialer but it doesn’t support reminders and any extra feature. It only calls a list of excel without stopping.
Which is best for Real estate Business?
Now that you know how predictive and power dialers function, you should have a better understanding of the differences between them. Predictive dialers work based on algorithms that direct them when to dial someone and which agent to transfer the call to. A power dialer is managed by the caller, allowing them to have complete control of calling without any doubt as to who they will be speaking with next.
Predictive dialers work best in a call-center environment where there are about 15 agents or more available to take calls and the purpose is to generate leads. This is because the dialer is constantly making calls and then transferring them to an available agent. If all the agents are already on calls, the dialer would drop a call and it would be counted towards the abandonment rate.
Now you can understand Power dialers works better than predictive dialers in Real estate environment, because in real estate agents usually call important contacts. And once client received a blank call he don't like that contact. Power dialers are less costly than predictive dialers and do not require multiple agents for use.
Which is the best and perfect for real estate agents?
As we discussed real estate agents need dialer which can be mobile. And there is only one dialer available with this feature it is ‘My Sales dialer’.
What is My Sales Dialer’s power dialer & how does it work?
‘My Sales Dialer’ is an android based power dialer application. The unique feature which no other dialer contains is mobility of working with My sales Dialer; it is totally mobile based app which doesn't require any access to remote server. It lets people utilize a full featured call center type of dialer from their android phone. The app empowers the real estate agents to free themselves from office dialer while enabling same level of productivity. So here agents can use all the benefits, mobility in power dialing as well as Clients meeting. So they can manage both simultaneously with the help of my sales dialer.
Real Estate Agents in Richmond, British Columbia
At Real Estate Agents in Richmond, you will find the best potential real estate agents with top quality service and best agents in the area. Visit the site now.
Buying Real Estate: To do their job properly an agent will have to know what type property you are interested in, whether the property you seek to purchase will be owner occupied or investor property, their job is to simplify your search. If you know the area you wish to buy in, price range of your investment and special features you want in the property you desire, the real estate professional can eliminate properties that are not suitable for your needs.
A good agent will qualify all potential buyers prior to showing property, this is done by soliciting financial information from the prospective purchaser or referring them to a mortgage professional to pre-qualify them so they will know if they are qualified for their potential purchase.
At Real Estate Agents in Richmond, you will find the best potential real estate agents with top quality service and best agents in the area.
Visit the site now.Before closing a transaction, a good agent will do what is called the final walk through of the property. They will direct you to inspect fixtures, turn on utilities and to ask any outstanding questions you have before proceeding to close. Coordinating the closing regarding time of closing, funds needed to close and location of the closing. An agent will be at closing with the file to be able to answer any questions regarding the transaction and to make sure there is an orderly transfer of keys.
Selling Property: This is also called "Listing Property". Placing your property on the market requires the agent to do a market analysis on the property. This process compares like properties in proximity to the subject property that have recently sold. (usually 6 months). This allows the agent to suggest the proper selling price for your property. The agent wiill monitor appointments and showings of the property. After listing your property, the agent proceeds to market your property.
This is done in a varity of methods. By placing a sign in front of the property, adding it to the multiple listing service or newspaper ads etc. The agent will update you on the progress of his efforts and submit to you all written offers, and explain what the offer means to you. The agent will be with the seller throughout the closing and will assist in the transfer of keys.
At Real Estate Agents in Richmond, you will find the best potential real estate agents with top quality service and best agents in the area. Visit the site now.
Internet Marketing For Real Estate Agents
If you are a real estate professional, you know that the real estate market is in a, generously stated, slump. The country has a glut of homes and buyers become harder to qualify for home loans each day. If you are scratching your head trying to find a better way to put your inventory of homes on the market, you have to remember that internet marketing for real estate agents brings results.
Traditional real estate marketing has included direct mail, local newspaper advertisements and good old fashioned cold calling on the telephone. These time tested marketing strategies work fine in a bull market but how do you find new customers in a bear market? There has to be a way to draw customers from outside of your traditional marketing areas.
Drawing customers from outside of the local area may be the only way for a real estate professional to move their inventory of homes.
Random mailings are ineffective as are cold calls to out of area people. There is one way to insure that your inventory of homes is brought to the front of anyone interested in moving to your local area.The internet provides the ideal medium to put your inventory of homes available to out of area clients. Through the availability of the web, your inventory of homes can be made available to anyone with computer access. This computer access permits prospective homeowners to view the available listings in the comfort of their own home. The listings of any realtor can be posted on the internet for a minimal cost.
The ability of the real estate agency to advertise a property on the internet will provide additional listings to the agency from sellers who wish to expand the exposure of their home to buyers.
This increased exposure will result in a quicker sale and happier customers.The existing MLS listing form can be either reproduced on a computer or a simplified form can be created. Along with the listings photographs of the home can be included. A more "upscale" method of allowing the prospective clients to view the home is to provide a video of the home. The video can be included in the on line listing in a WAV format. Windows Media Player and most other media players can play the WAV format with ease. The inclusion of a video of the interior and exterior of the home allows the prospective client the ability to walk through the home without ever setting foot in the home.
Internet marketing for real estate agents brings results from both out of town prospects and additionally prospects that are in town. The inclusion of a description, the MLS listing and photos or a video of the property allows the prospect to view and significantly reduce their "short list" of homes that are available in the area. Internet marketing expands the customer base which provides the agency with a higher bottom line.
3 Myths About Real Estate Agents
Money has become a very large factor in this economy. FSBO's are wanting to save every penny they can, but then again, aren't we all? Since around 80% of For Sale By Owners end up using a Real Estate Agent to sell their home, there are five myths that they will need to find truth in order to shake the fear out of using a real estate agent.
MYTH #1
Real Estate Agents Get Paid Too Much For What They Do.
This has always been a big misconception that started in 2002 when the Real Estate market took off and the stigma has lasted ever since. The truth of the matter is, the market has dropped 10 years worth of growth in the last 2 years due to our current economic state. Agents on average, made 35,000 per year in 2002 and has dropped dramatically in 2008-2010. After paying for proper marketing and the time spent showing people properties, agents DO NOT get paid too much for what they do.
MYTH #2
Real Estate Agents Are Lazy!
This sort of ties in with Myth #1 except it gets down to what a successful agent really does. They usually have a marketing budget of around 10% of their projected earnings for that year. Often times they cant afford to hire a graphic designer so they spend time making their own ads and then spending their own money on marketing their listings. They then spend an hour a day canvassing homes to prospect for more listings. Someone may call them up and want to see a home so they drop everything they are doing to run over to the home to let the prospective buyer in. They take bankers out to lunch to find out more information about the economy to let you the buyer know what to do. They are doing paperwork and responding to emails a large part of the day and all the while, worried about when their next sale is coming from. Agents want to work, and they want to work hard!
MYTH #3
Real Estate Agents Are "Sketchy" or Out For Themselves.
While it is very true that some real estate agents do care more about their well being than yours, (it is becoming more common now the the economy has fallen a bit) most real estate agents are not like this. The National Association of REALTOR's put the REALTOR Code of Ethics in place which keeps Real Estate Agents "honest". Although you will have bad seeds in every industry, be cautious and interview your real estate agent before hiring them to serve you. Ask a lot of questions and go with your intuition!
Postcard Marketing Ideas for Real Estate Agents
Testimonials
Postcard marketing campaign can highlight the client success. Gather the information, report, pictures of people who have succeeded in finding their dream homes through your real estate service. Such people can encourage more people to try out your service. Your postcard will also encourage people to contact you who want to buy a new home.
Employ postcard for website marketing
Postcards even effectively generate high website traffic to your homepage. Capture a screen shot of your web site and list down URL and print it on your postcards. Then distribute postcards to your target audience. This way your target clients will visit your website regularly to know more about your special offers, home listing or may sign up for a mailing list.
Unique designs and message
Make sure that your postcard design and message appeal your target market. Your postcard should be inspiring so that people who want to sell or buy new house can contact you.
Offer something different
Several real estate agencies offer free consultation services to their clients. But you need to think about the special services that you can provide your prospective clients. For instance, downloadable buying and selling guideline for different types real estate properties, offer them weekly updates for real estate transactions according to the needs of specific client. This way you can dramatically boost your real estate business.
Thus, real estate agents should be creative in designing their postcard marketing campaigns. Real estate clients need trustable agent for their real-estate property dealing. Your postcard will show them that you are trustworthy. You can recommend them to visit your website where they can see former client’s reviews about your service. Update your website on a regular basis. Even update your target audience by sending postcards periodically. Your customers need your support and encouragement. So, if you design your postcard according to above mentioned guidelines we guarantee at the end of the day you will surely realize that postcards are really very cost effective and powerful marketing strategy indeed. Try it, its worth!
Benefits of Hiring Real Estate Agents
If you are planning of selling or buying your property, then you must consider the very basic thing in the real estate process, which is getting the services of real estate agents. You can get a great deal of help from a real estate agent in home sales from advising to closing a sale. There are some very well known companies with international presence such as Coldwell banker that offer quality services in all areas of real estate.
However, with vast amount of information available on the net or taking help of marketing practices , some people are of the opinion that that they can smoothly complete the process of purchasing and selling a house by themselves, without taking any help from the professional real estate agents. if you are also have any doubts, discussed here are the major benefits of using real estate agents for home sales and buying purposes that might encourage you to hire real estate agents:
Real estate agents possess both the experience and education required for performing well in the field of real estate.
You need to be very careful in the matters of home sales and purchase because there are all kinds of players in the market. Good and trustworthy real estate agents such as coldwell banker can safeguard you against the builder's agents and put off them from creeping around and dogging your footsteps. If you're a seller, an agent can filter phone calls from those interfering chaser that try to lure buyers to make an offer right away.
Real estate agents also offer a great deal of help to clients in deciding for themselves. It is also not true that they finalize the prices for the sellers and buyers; rather they help them in reaching at the right choices. For example, a selling agent provides a buyer with all the details such as vested interest, supply, and conditions. Then they will ask the buyer to select a price and then move ahead to next step of making negotiations. They also let you know the market conditions that are important factors in your decision-making. Matters such as average per square foot cost of other homes, average sales prices, list-to-sold other, among others are important things and must be taken into consideration before you make any firm decisions.
The good real estate agents are the ones that possess the skills of negotiating well. Unlike the buyers and sellers, they can keep themselves away from the emotional aspect of the home sales process. That is what makes them good at their work. They are trained professionals and present their client's case in the best possible manner. They also make sure that all the clients' confidential information is kept safe and never be disclosed. Another important characteristic of good real estate agents and companies such as well known coldwell banker is that they enjoy a good reputation.
Choosing A Real Estate Agent
One of the first steps towards buying your own property is to look for a real estate agent. The agent will help you find the property of your choice, and you will be able to look through various options before finally deciding upon a property that will be just perfect for you. For this to happen, you have to be very careful so as to choose the right kind of real estate agent, so that you are assured of getting the best deal available, and can buy the best property available.
While choosing a real estate agent, it is important to take a look at the experience that the agent has. An agent with more experience is bound to guide you towards better properties, and will be able to present it to you in a very professional way, which will help you make up your mind about the property that youre about to buy, and you will be in a position to decide whether or not that particular property is the right one for you. Thus it is important to select an experienced real estate agent at all times.
It also helps if the agent has a good reputation, and does not have any sort of negative feedback. You can check this for yourself and will easily be able to filter out the good from the bad. Be careful so as to choose an agent who has positive feedback and will not go back on his word. This will help you maintain a constant rapport with the agent, and you will be in complete control of the process that is going on. So remember to check the feedback that the agent has in order to make your decision.
Once you have chosen a good real estate agent, then the rest of the process becomes much smoother, because the agent will be able to show you the best options available to you, and you will be able to choose the best one from among them. If you get any kind of doubts regarding the property, the agent will be able to assist you, and you can then make your final decision based on what you see and what the agent has to offer. This is thus a win-win situation for everyone involved. So do remember to choose a good agent, and the rest will be a piece of cake.
Top Seven Real Estate Agent Safety Tips
Recently my daughter, a real estate agent in Virginia, told me of a scary incident she was involved in showing a house to a prospective client. She had an appointment to meet the client at the house. She got there a few minutes ahead of the client and went in to check things out.
She was making her way around the house when she thought she heard a sound. Instinctively she called and got her pepper spray out of her purse.
As it turns out the house was being rented out but the lease expired 3 weeks prior. The tenants were still there! Surprise! Heather wasn't sure if she or the tenants were more frightened. When she showed the pepper spray to the tenants they backed off. She was lucky.
Think of all the times real estate agents put themselves at risk by meeting complete strangers often in remote locations by themselves either showing homes or hosting "open Houses".
That is an accident waiting to happen.I'll admit the number of assaults, rapes, and even murders is small statistically speaking but they do happen. Do you want to take a chance? Not that you should become paranoid but much better to be safe than sorry. Some precautionary steps and good old common sense could prevent you from becoming a police statistic.
1. Always carry some non lethal self defense weapons with you. Stun guns and pepper sprays are easy to conceal in your car, office and purse.
2. That gut feeling-called intuition-follow it. If the situation doesn't feel right to you-get out!!
3. Meet a new customer at the office and introduce him/her to some coworkers. Make a copy of their driver's license or get the plate number off their car. Explain it as office policy which it should be for security reasons.
4. Never meet a new customer at the property especially if it is vacant. Ask the customer to follow you in his/her car. If that is not possible insist on driving your car.
5. Ask if your office offers any safety training even an informal session will do.
6. Never turn your back to a stranger. When showing a property let the customer lead and you follow keeping yourself between the customer and a door.
7. Keep your cell phone with you at all times.
Chances are if you are reading this that crime has touched your life in some way or you consider yourself at risk. Take the next step and do something to protect yourself. Your life and safety is worth far more than the cost of a stun gun or pepper spray.
Stun guns, tasers and pepper sprays are not legal in some states. Check with your local police department first before you get one.
Buying A Property Utilizing Real Estate Agents
The real estate agent who has listed the property works for the seller not the buyer. This is due to the fact the seller will be paying the commission towards the realtor upon the sale of the home. Nevertheless, once you retain your personal realtor to assist you find a house the real estate agent attempts to meet your objectives.
If allowed by state law, some real estate agents will want you to sign a buyer's agreement. This document basically states that you simply will retain the agent exclusively to locate a property. In consideration for this the agent's duties is going to be spelled out. The rationale the agent may want this is that there is a lot of time and effort that goes into locating you a home. This will bind you at the very least in good faith to stick with the one that's helping you. It would be up to you if you want to sign the document.
So with that in mind, you'll need to take particular steps so that you are able to find and work with a realtor that will locate for you the property you want and require. You must talk to a number of real estate agents, including any that may have been referred by associates or relatives. Make a list beforehand of what you would like. You need to have a wish list of neighborhood, type of residence, square footage and lot size. Nearness to schools, churches, medical facilities and key shopping malls should play a part in your decision.
The real estate professional needs to be able to assess your desires and fit you with a selection of homes to consider. The real estate agent ought to be meeting your goals by only showing you homes which you can afford and want. An imperative aspect of this approach is for you to get pre-approved by a lender at the beginning. This will enable the realtor to focus on homes you are able to afford. It is going to give the realtor strength in presenting an offer to the seller's agent when the time comes. If there's more than one offer going on at the same time it shows you are prepared to close.
Your initial offer could be rejected at the beginning or a counter offer may be made by the seller, but do not get frustrated if this happens. These must be cautiously explained to you at the time by your real estate agent. Any counter offer needs to take into consideration whether you can carry out what's asked. You are going to take into account whether or not it really is worth it to get the property or move on to searching for yet another opportunity.
Once you have an accepted sales agreement the realtor will help in providing closing arrangements, entry for the appraiser and ongoing communication with all parties involved until funding. A real estate professional who's honest, knows the business and is an individual who it is possible to get along with will probably be a real asset for you in completing your house transaction.
In Need Of Real Estate Agents Epping?
If you are thinking about buying a new home in Epping then it might be useful to investigate the different options that you have in front of you with the help of a real estate agent. This is due to the fact that you can easily sort through properties if you have an agent that knows the area and the vacancies making the acquisition of a new property a great deal easier than trying to do your research on your own.
Finding properties is just one way that having a real estate agent Epping can help make finding your dream home a little easier, but there are actually many reasons why you will want to look for help from an agent. The truth is that a real estate agent does more than just show you potential homes, as they also serve as your broker, negotiator, and aid with closing to help make sure that when all is said and done you are completely happy with the property you have chosen.
Without their help as a liaison purchasing a home can be very complicated and it is quite possible that you will miss some very important details.For instance, during negotiations your Eppicng real estate agent will act as your representative to help make sure that your get the best deal on your home as they help guide your bids to make sure you win the home you want without paying too much for it. They will also make sure that you do not overpay for your home taking into account home inspections and any items in the home that may need renovation to make sure that you pay a fair price for the home that you are considering purchasing.
In addition, they will help to make sure that the closing procedures are done correctly taking into account the legal requirements of closing a home sale.
Real estate agents in Epping are skilled at the legal law and will make sure that everything is taken care of correctly so that you can make sure that there are no delays since there is nothing more aggravating then waiting for a home to close so that you can move into it on the planned date and just the smallest detail can sometimes delay this entire process.There are a lot of small details to take into account whenever you need to purchase a home, but with the right real estate agents you can make your home purchase more of a delight and less of a stressful task. Buying a home should be a happy time for you, therefore, you will want to make sure that you follow all of the right steps so that when you do close everything proceeds according to plan and you are able to move your family into their great new home on time and schedule. After all, why stress over the move when you can allow someone else to do it for you.