Monday, June 28, 2010
SEVEN CRITICAL MISTAKES HOME BUYERS MAKE (AND HOW TO AVOID THEM)
MISTAKE NO.3 SHOTGUN SHOPPING, AKA WORKING WITH TOO MANY REAL ESTATE AGENTS
Typically, the home buying process goes something like this. You pick up a few newspapers, look through the ads, see a few interesting homes, drive through the neighborhoods, and then you end up calling the agent who advertised the home. Before you know it, you have called on several homes that fit your needs and desires. By doing so, you have selected your Realtor by default. This is a huge mistake. The preferable way to go about finding the best home for you is to choose one agent and have them show you homes that match your criteria. The truth of the matter is this: All real estate agents have access to the same information. The Multiple Listing Service provides the same descriptions of homes to every agent, so choosing an agent based on a house they just happened to advertise is doing yourself a major disservice. The question then becomes how you chooses an agent. How do you know who is good? Well, look for indicators of success. The quality of an agent's marketing will often be indicative of their quality as an agent. Start by asking for a copy of their personal brochure. Do they have one? Is it full color and professionally created? Does it tell you who they are rather than simply provide a laundry list of accomplishments and designations that you can't decipher anyway? Take the brochures and if you can answer yes to all of these questions, narrow them down by looking for a personality match. Remember all agents have access to the same list of houses for sale, so the most important aspects of their service will be your ability to get along with them and their ability to understand your needs. That is why a face-to-face meeting is usually best at this point. --- Bryan VogtStrano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate(618) 355-5824--- O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for SaleSwansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for SaleBellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for SaleScott AFB PCS Relocation--- Labels: agent, homes for sale, marketing, Realtor
# posted by Bryan Vogt @ 2:55 PM
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
7 CRITICAL MISTAKES HOMEBUYERS MAKE (AND HOW TO AVOID THEM)
MISTAKE#3 SHOTGUN SHOPPING, AKA WORKING WITH TOO MANY REAL ESTATE AGENTSTypically, the home buying process goes something like this: You pick up a few newspapers. look throught the ads, see a few interesting homes, drive through the neighborhoods, and then you end up calling the agent who advertised the house. Before you know it, you have called on several houses, therefore, you suddenly have several real estate agents trying to find homes that fit your needs and desires. By doing so, you have selected your realtor by default. This is a huge mistake. The preferable way to go about finding the best home for you is to choose one agent and have them show you homes that match your criteria. The truth of the matter is this: All real estate agents have access to the exact same information. The Multiple Listing Service provides the same descriptions of homes to every agent, so choosing an agent based on a house they just happen to advertise is doing yourself a major disservice. The question then becomes how you choose an agent. How do you know who is good? Well look for indicators of success. The quality of an agent's marketing will often be indicative of their quality as an agent. Start by asking for a copy of their personal brochure. Do they have one? Does it tell you who they are rather than simply provided a laundry list of accomplishments and designations that you can't decipher anyway? Look for a personality match. Remember, all agents have access to the same list of houses for sale, so the most important aspects of their service will be your needs. That's why a face-to -face meeting is usually best at this point. --- Bryan VogtStrano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate (618) 355-5824 --- O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for SaleSwansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for SaleBellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for SaleScott AFB PCS Relocation--- Labels: agent, marketing, Realtor
# posted by Bryan Vogt @ 11:19 AM
Friday, September 04, 2009
TIP #3 HOME BUYERS: HOW TO AVOID PAYING TOO MUCH
-TIP#3 PICK A WINNING TEAM TO HELP YOUFrom picking a mortgage, to finding the right home, to inspections, to negotiating the best deal, it can be exhausting for even the hardiest of souls. That's why most people have a Realtor in their corner. A good agent has the knowledge and experience that come from years of helping both buyers and sellers. He or she has a team of other professionals to put at your disposal: lenders, lawyers, home inspectors,movers, etc. Most sellers you encounter are certainly going to have professionals in their corner. Having a pro on your team is the best way to make sure you get the best deal possible. --Bryan VogtStrano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate (618) 355-5824 --- O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for SaleSwansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for SaleBellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for SaleScott AFB PCS Relocation--- Labels: professional, Realtor
# posted by Bryan Vogt @ 12:42 PM
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
TIP#7 OF ESSENTIAL TIPS THAT GET HOMES SOLD FAST AND FOR TOP DOLLAR
TIP#7 FIND A GOOD REALTORNearly two thirds of the people who sell their own home say they would not do it themselves again, according to research by the National association of Realtors. Sellers surveyed point to difficulties in setting price, marketing handicaps amd liability concerns among primary reasons they would turn to a Realtor next time. Selling a home yourself usually eats up more time and effort than you might initially expect.Once you understand how much work it will be to sell it yourself, talk to a Realtor that you trust even if you decide to strike out on your own. Many top professionals are more than willing to help do-it-yourself sellers with the paperwork, contracts, etc. Plus you'll have a relationship with an agent if problems do arise that require professional help.If you do decide to work with a Realtor, contact four or five - you probably met a few that you liked during your open house tour. Explain to each that you are thinking about putting your house on the market and you would like to talk about pricing and marketing. By having this group evaluation done, you should end up with a fairly tight price range to help guide your decision. Any Realtor that is substantially higher or lower than the group should be able to justify their estimate. Just as you should be concerned with too low a price, beware of an agent who gives you the highest price- they may be trying to buy your listing.A good Realtor knows the market and your neighborhood in particular. They will supply you with information on past sales, current listings, a marketing plan, something of their own background, and references from past clients. Take the time to carefully evaluate candidates on the basis of their experience, qualifications, enthusiasm, and personality. Most importantly, make sure you choose someone who is going to put in a lot of hard work on your behalf.Labels: evaluation, home, Realtor, selling
# posted by Bryan Vogt @ 1:26 PM
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