Dream Team's (htr3836) Blog

We have had some of these flat fee Firms pop up with in our town.  These things are a joke.  People pay the agent and up front fee to sell the house.  IF it does not sell they do not get the money back.  They take the fee never do anything to sell it.  Just put it in the systme (Like that sells a...

That should only be the beginning. What is more valuable -- an agent who listed 32 homes and sold 25 - or an agent who listed twelve homes and sold all twelve? So you need to ask some questions. How many of their listings did not sell? How many were reduced over and over before they sold? How lo...

Open houses can and do sell homes, but usually not your home. Only a small fraction of the homes held open are sold as a direct result of the open house. More often, "open houses" are a way that real estate agentss "prospect" for potential clients. If they develop a rapport with those visitors to...

"All realtors passed the same test so they must know the same things." The real estate profession is constantly changing and, as mentioned above, the best real estate professionals stay abreast of those changes by continuing their education. Some go beyond the required minimum requirements. Many ...

Agents who work for large well-established companies with lots of agents do have some advantages. Large companies generally have longer office hours, so someone is always available to answer an ad call on your home. Large offices often have larger budgets and can spend more on advertising. The ad...

"I'm going to list with the agent who has the lowest commission." You get what you pay for. Paying a cut-rate commission will often get you a sign in the front yard and placement in the Multiple Listing Service, but little additional effort from your agent. Realize that agents and real estate com...

"I don't need references. I'm a good judge of character." A snap judgement isn't good enough. You also need to determine if the agent is competent and the best way to do that is to check up on references. Ask for references on recent sales -- check up on references of recent customers. Find out h...

Some agents tell you what you want to hear. In the real estate profession, this is known as "buying a listing" and is employed by shortsighted agents who are more interested in themselves than they are in you. However good it works as a short-term "sales tactic" in getting your listing, it is an ...

Look at more than one presentation and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each. Making an impulsive decision when caught up "in the moment" could be difficult to correct later. Since you normally contract to list your house with the agent for a specific period of time, you may find your...

Friendship alone isn't enough to establish a professional's credentials. Use tough standards when selecting an agent, just as you would when hiring an attorney, a doctor, or an accountant to handle your taxes. A true friend will understand and appreciate that this is a business decision and will ...