Real Estate - All in a Day’s Work

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RISMEDIA, Feb. 19, 2008-(MCT)-They shook hands and exchanged smiles. Quick glances darted around the small gathering that had just negotiated the home’s purchase price. Everyone now knew the real work would begin.

Standing in the driveway with only the light from the porch, the buyers and their Realtor stood for a few moments swapping meaningless nervous banter, allowing their emotions and intellect to find common ground. After several moments they went to their own vehicles. The buyers continued to discuss how their decision would change their lives. As soon as the Realtor sat in her car, she dialed the number of the mortgage provider to inform him she would send over the signed contract in the morning.

The Realtor had found this home for the buyers the same day it was listed on MLS — the Board of Realtors home inventory system. A friend of hers had called because he knew she had some buyers who were looking for a house like the one he had just listed. In a word, the MLS is a tool less effective than are the established relationships a Realtor maintains.

The next morning the Realtor completes additional forms and sends them to her office. She then calls inspectors to schedule the home and pest inspections. She schedules the appraisal and writes all of these dates on her calendar. She will be present at these events representing her buyers in the event they are not able to be present.

She has four other buyers she is working with and two of these are in varying stages of closing. She has another inspection this week as well as a 12-hour continuing education training class. She has scheduled Saturday afternoon to show five houses to one couple and she will sit on an open house on Sunday afternoon.

Her cell phone is her constant companion and she used more than 3,000 minutes last month. She receives contact from current clients and potential clients via e-mail, which is forwarded to her phone, and voice mail from both the office and her home. When her phone rings it could be a potential client just as easily as it could be the school calling to tell her that her son is ill and needs to be picked up.

Her car is her office and she is all too familiar with the price of gasoline. There are yard signs in the truck, as well as blank contracts and flyers for the other houses she has listed. She will make her way by each of these listings several times each week to replenish the supply of flyers and to check on the status of the properties.

Some listings require advertising in print or on TV. This is done at her expense, as is all the advertising done to sell the home. She will attend events staged by other Realtors showcasing their listings. She does this to discover homes she might be able to sell and to network with other professionals who might be able to help sell one of her listings.

Many evenings she shows potential properties to buyers who can’t take off work to look. She prepares reports disclosing the comparable value of the homes as well as the various school districts and distances to shopping and other services. She is responsible to look out for the best interest of all her clients throughout the entire process.

Three ingredients make up a good Realtor; relationships, knowledge and skill. The best Realtors are those who never stop learning, never stop improving their skills and never stop cultivating new relationships while nurturing existing associations.

Copyright © 2008, The Edmond Sun, Okla.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

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Discussion Forum

Topic	Posts	Last Poster
Role of realtor in real estate business	1	RomiSam11
My Space Page?	3	JoeCline
A Listing and $2.00 will get you on the subway!	3	JoeCline
Why is acknowledging a recession a good thing???	2	JoeCline
Online bidding for all Realtors	2	JoeCline
Yeah Right ,You Can Always Refinance	2	JoeCline
Going Green Today?	4	JoeCline
"I'm not going to give my house away."	14	garyods
Real Estate 101 - What Is A Short Sale?	3	yxvayns
New Agent:Getting Started in RE in S. Florida - Advice?	29	DMonette

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