Part Five: Honesty, Single Agency, Experience, and Knowledge, Now What?
The first four traits you should be looking for in a REALTOR® are pretty darned important, what I consider to be universal in your search for success.
Now the fun starts as you refine what is important to you when finding that REALTOR® to represent you.
Since you will be spending quite a bit of time with your REALTOR®, why not find one that you like? Each of us is comfortable with a certain type of personality that aligns with our basic principles and expectations – no one REALTOR® can appeal to all.
The worst thing you can do is pick your REALTOR® and make an offer the same day. I truly believe that you need to spend some time with him or her, listen and learn, decide if they have your best interest at heart, that they are being truthful, and are not just in it for the commission. Remember Trust but Verify.
Most good REALTORS know that you really can’t sell someone something they don’t like, and if they should not expect recommendations or repeat Clients. At the end of the day we all purchase a HOME (Real Estate) based on emotion and then follow that decision up with logic later.
So when you stumble across that perfect home, the one that excites you and gets your heart pumping – you’ll want to have an objective advisor standing next to you to point out the bad with the good. Now I am not suggesting that I or any REALTOR® can be arrogant enough to make that purchase decision, but we should be there on behalf of that emotional Client to confirm the decision is sound. Too many times I have been with Clients that have fallen for the beautiful decorated home backed up to a Freeway – when down the street exists a much sounder purchase which can be easily decorated in the same manner.
Back when I was mentoring new agents I would tell them , “use your power for good, not evil.”
And believe me we develop relationships with our Clients and can influence them for both good or bad, that is why you need time to get to know your REALTOR® and make sure they are a good FIT and their intentions are watching over you!
Life is short, work with someone you like, I know that I do. What do you think?
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