What are the DIFFERENCES between Agents?
 When I sat down, during a semi quiet moment at home, and told my wife about my idea for this article, I was unsure what type of reaction I would receive. I was greeted with a simple smirk. My wife lives outside of real estate. I joke she has a "real job". Set hours. A desk, around other people. Lunch breaks. Set hours. You know, a "real job." So she's always looking at my ideas from a slightly different point of view. While she's more than versed on why I'm "different", she thought the article wouldn't come off as something unbiased... With this burning at my brain, I'm going to give it a shot. You locate an Agent. Maybe it's a friend, or friend of a friend. A referral. Simply, you hire an Agent to do one simple thing. Sell your house, or find you one. Maybe you've been doing some research online, and have found it pretty easy to locate properties, or compare yours, to others on the market. It was "Easy", so as long as your Agent is breathing, they'll do... HUGE MISTAKE Is it HARD to locate something for sale online? Nope. Is it tough to open the door, allowing you to walk through? Nope. Tough to point out the number of bedrooms? Baths? NOPE..! Honestly, there are times leading up to the negotiation phase that I want to simple melt into the walls...lol. My clients know what they like. Typically they explain it pretty clear, making my job easy. Everything leading up to the actual "negotiation" phase is more time consuming, than work. Now to my point... Real Estate Agents have a LOT in common with Sports Agents... I get a strange look every time I explain it this way, but I feel it fits, perfectly. A Sports Agent represents an athlete who has a set talent. His/her job? To market that talent against all the other talent on the market. Oh, and to negotiate the best deal possible. If you're selling your home, your "Agents" job is to market & point out all the POSITIVES. Like a Sports Agent, your home needs to appear "Special", or one of a kind. How is your home going to make the buyer happy? More happy than the house down the street. Highest priced? Well, your Agent better show the buyer WHY! Want a tip? No one is going to part with their hard earned money unless they SEE A REASON TO SPEND MORE..! Like the baseball player that hit 40 home runs, the Agent better point out that he can also catch... What if there's an issue? Well, the Agent better understand how to down-play the negative, and up-play the positive. If you hire an average Agent, well, expect an average result. You'll get less for your home, or sticking to the sports analogy, you'll get a smaller contract... My "Job" as your Agent is to market your home like it's a Super Star. The only way you do that, is to NEVER do "anything" like everyone else. If you have a great pool, then it's my job to show that pool off. Your pool should equal dollar signs. You don't accomplish this by simply taking a photo. Even a SUPER nice photo... The 50 thousand dollar kitchen? MONEY..! If your Agent simply does what everyone else does, how is that going to make your home "Special"? How can your Agent expect to get top dollar? A Sports Agent might have a great prospect, but if he doesn't show how high, far, fast, accurate their client is, there's no HUGE contract out there for average...! My job is to PLAINLY SHOW why your home is a BETTER fit than EVERYTHING else out there. Why your home is going to make the buyer "Happier" than the other homes they've seen... ONLY YOUR home can have this effect. Oh, and here's WHY..! OK, you're on the other side. You've found a home you like, and you WANT IT. My job is to "expose" how this home is simply one of many, and to push for the best deal possible. What if you find a home that "is" the best of the best. The Agent representing the home (yes, the home. No one buys the homeowner...), understands he/she has a winner. Coming to a compromise is an art form. It's a talent. Expressing how an agreement benefits BOTH SIDES doesn't just happen... I HONESTLY understand that every client is different, and that there isn't a single script. I hope you give me a chance to show you how I do business. VERY FEW Agents are alike... |
