Today I am taking off my realtor hat and I am just going to talk to you as a friend. I have learned so much over the last 10 years in this business. Yes, a lot of it has been by trial and error, fear and failure, but that is what has molded us into one of the strongest real estate teams in Orange County.  Everybody knows somebody that has a real estate license…. There are thousands of us that carry that a little piece of paper with an 8 digit number. That does not mean that every realtor knows how to sell a home. Follow this advice, and you will do just fine….

DO NOT HIRE A PART TIME AGENT

Here’s the problem with a “part-time agent.” Plain and simple, they cannot possibly know the market as well as an agent who is out there everyday pounding the pavement. They also are not going to know the other agents in the community as well as someone who is networking with them everyday in every way. Lastly, when that hot buyer or newest property pops on the market for you, chances are that they aren’t going to be at your beck and call if they are busy napping or whatever is that they do during the other “part-time” of their lives.

MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING

 I have learned that marketing yourself and your clients home is essential to success. Simply taking a listing, adding it to the Multiple Listing Service and slapping together a flyer from pictures taken on your iPhone, is not marketing. If you are interviewing an agent, you must ask to see their marketing plan in detail! They must have a large sphere, a massive presence on social media, and utilize video. Ask to see what they are going to put in print and make them show you examples. Our marketing plan is so superior that we proudly display it at all of our listing appointments. You must know what you are getting for your money. Talk is cheap…. you want proof.

YES, YOU MUST LIKE THEM

 Think of it this way, you are going to possibly spend the next 3-6 months with your agents. If you wouldn’t invite them over for dinner and a cocktail… Don’t hire them. Also, you are trusting your agents with one of the biggest transactions of your lifetime, you need to feel that you can trust them and that they genuinely have your best interests at heart. If you don’t, then they probably don’t…

UMMM REVIEWS

 No brainer… If a client received excellent service and genuinely felt that  they were very well taken care of, they will write about it! Likewise, if they receive bad service, they will write about it! Read them… all of them.

DAMN VOICEMAIL

There is a saying in our office and we use it daily, “Time Kills All Deals” Your agent needs to call, text you, or email you back within minutes, not days or even hours…. Hiring a team ensures that your needs are always met and that someone is always available when you need them. Test them before you sign with them!
Don’t believe me?  Try it…. Call us today if you are thinking of buying or selling your home!! (We answer our phones)

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Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Ridp