Why every Realtor should have their own home for sale!

Last week while booking showing appointments I got a call from a Realtor from another company.  The home I wanted to take buyers through was his own and he simply wanted to see if the buyers were in position to buy.  He went on to say that every Realtor should have their own home for sale every few years to see what we put sellers through.  His family in this case.  His family that had on more than one occasion lovingly prepped the home to find out the buyers weren't even ready to buy!

In my case, the buyers were ready willing and able (house wasn't for them, alas).  But all too often Realtors jump into taking out buyers that they barely know, have not pre-approved or even worse ones that are just sizing up the area!  Some "buyers" are no more than looky loos who wouldn't be ready to move anytime in the next year!

Walking around in someone's home is NOT like strolling through a car lot for crying out loud.

Why oh why would you get a seller excited about a showing, knowing a diligent seller will clean and prep their home, make arrangements for any pets or children and vacate for the showing, when your buyer is not even ready to buy?  That's just nasty.

When someone is "just looking" they can do so on line and from drive bys.  If you have nothing better to do than chauffeur them around, take them to vacant properties!

Also to any of my colleagues that get casual about "getting back" to the client with updates on their negotiations....what is wrong with you?!  An hour seems like a week when someone is waiting on tender-hooks to know if their offer was accepted or if the buyer got financing. 

I agree that every Realtor should have the regular experience of "waiting to hear".  Maybe waiting to hear how your medical test went.  How would you like it if the professional got too busy to let you know how it was going? 

STRESS is often found in the sea of the unknown.  Throw a lifeline and be thoughtful and prompt with communication.  If you're too busy to be courteous to others you are simply ineffectual and need to either stack less on your plate or get into a different business with less life altering impact.

Before you take a step, or miss taking a step, consider the impact on others.  Don't be a dink. 

Great Realtor or self absorbed windbag?

Let me pose a few questions to you.

1.  If the Realtor or Real Estate Company you choose is a choice made on them selling the most, being busier and having higher production than any other Realtor/Company....do you think there is a hazard that your home could be listed under fair market value to keep their stats on top?

2.  If the Realtor listing your home consistently runs a bigger picture of themselves than of your home, do you think they are trying to sell your home or sell other people on picking them for their next real estate transaction?

3.  If you have already heard from other professionals that your desired price is too high, but some other Realtor comes along and puts stars in your eyes that they can achieve the impossible...do you think they might just want to use your listing to get phone calls from other buyers and sellers, without any motivation to really sell your inflated priced home?

If your pick of Realtor is more about a sales pitch than about genuine, professional advice you might want to look around.  There are many great Realtors out there that treat their profession as a service industry and will not cloud the issue of your purchase or your sale with their ulterior motives.

A great Realtor makes your home sale all about you, or your home buying all about you.  However, as I tell my clients, "in two years time when you see me at the grocery store, I want you to be happy to see me, I don't want you ready to launch a dozen oranges at me because I let you make a stupid move."

"Not on my watch" might be the mantra of a true blue Realtor.  They won't let you buy an overpriced or faulty home.  They won't let you undersell your home.  They will let you go before they let you down or fill your head with pipe dreams that will ultimately lead to huge disappointment.

You owe it to yourself to spend time interviewing a few different Realtors from different offices to know who will bring you the most VALUE.  And, the most VALUE is not (and often isn't) the cheapest to use.

Be careful out there!  Your home sale or purchase is likely the biggest part of your net worth.  Take your time and find the right Realtor to do the job superbly.