All About Real Estate Agents

Posted on January 3, 2023 by dayat

Real estate agents are professionals instrumental in connecting the buyer with the seller.
Additionally, many real estate agents manage rentals wherein they introduce tenants to landlords and oversee the maintenance of the property on behalf of the landlords.
In most areas real estate agents are required to be highly educated, licensed and are regulated by a governing body.
Some real estate agents are also Realtors.
To use the title Realtor, a real estate agent must be a member of the National Association of Realtors which in addition to a number of other requirements, requires Realtors to adhere to a strict code of ethics and offers Realtors additional educational and designation opportunities.
Though not required by rule or law, it might be a wise decision to seek the services of a Realtor.

What Do They Do….

Real estate agents bring together two or more interested parties, perform those steps necessary to successfully conclude a transaction and charge a commission for their services.
For sales transactions, they charge commission to the seller while for rentals, commission is typically charged the landlord.
Real estate agents generally calculate their fee as a percentage of the selling price (in the case of a sale) and as part of the rent for rental units.

How Do They Do It…

People who want to sell or rent their property leave details of their property with the real estate agent.
Along with all property details the real estate agent will typically have keys to the house to facilitate showings.
The other interested party (i.e. the buyer/tenant), gets access to this information and to the property by contacting the real estate agent.
That’s how the real estate agent becomes a hub of information.
Contrary to some common misconceptions, real estate agents typically represent the seller or the buyer but rarely both.

Why Should I Use One…

First and foremost, to protect yourself. Real estate transactions are highly regulated, highly paper (document) intensive transactions.
The real estate agent possesses an in depth knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, disclosures and documentation necessary to successfully complete the transaction to the satisfaction of the buyer, the seller and the law.

Because real estate agents are most familiar with local real estate market conditions, it is wise and makes sense to seek the advice of one to get an idea of the current trends and pricing for properties within that market.
A good real estate agent will know the prices (or price range) of various properties of different types and at various locations within the region.

Because of the real estate agent’s knowledge and expertise, property sellers often get a few thousand dollars more for their property.

Many home seekers, including seasoned real estate investors use the services of real estate agents to locate the best real estate bargains in the easiest and quickest manner.

Furthermore, the best agents analyze the wants and needs of a home buyer/tenant and provide valuable input as to the kinds of properties available to them within their budget. Therefore, a good real estate agent will not just present a list of available properties to the buyer/tenant but will actually discuss their needs and make suggestions.

The good real estate agent, working in this manner benefits in at least two ways…
First and most obviously, when the real estate agent is able to successfully complete the transaction the commission is earned and the real estate agent is paid…
and secondly, if they make the customer/client happy they earn a good reputation and often receive referrals (hence more business).

Worth Noting…

It is worth noting that there is a myth floating around that real estate agents only work on behalf of the seller, buyer beware.
This is not written in stone nor is it always the case. Real estate agents are, in most regions, highly regulated.
With few exceptions, real estate agents work either for the seller (as is the case with many listing agents) or for the buyer (as is the case for a buyer’s agent).
Additionally, some areas allow for dual agency where an agent can work for both the seller and the buyer or as a transaction broker where the agent represents the transaction itself and neither the seller nor buyer individually.
However, in the case of dual agency/transaction brokerage, note that rule, regulation (law) and ethics do not permit the agent to act in favor of either party while in detriment to the other.
If you are unsure of the relationship between you and your real estate agent, do not hesitate to ask.

Dave Jarvis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Florida and is Broker and Owner of Realty Concepts, Inc. a Southwest Florida Real Estate Corporation. If you are interested in Southwest Florida Properties see his website at [http://w

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Real Estate Agent – What is It?

Posted on January 3, 2023 by dayat

A real estate agent is a person that is used as an expert to facilitate the selling of real estate. In my opinion, a real estate agent should be open to new things, including innovative marketing ideas and cutting-edge changes that impact buyers and sellers. A real estate agent should be someone who listens to buyers, sellers and renters to figure out what the public hates about agents and proactively make changes in their own business plan accordingly. A real estate agent should have business hours that are applicable to other professionals that are paid thousands of dollars per transaction.

A real estate agent should practice their skills by using them everyday. A real estate agent should not be part-time in the business. This means they should not have a full-time job and sell real estate when they need some extra money. A real estate agent should be skilled at keeping their cool when something goes wrong. A real estate agent should be professional and never hang up on a client or another real estate agent, no matter what was said or done.

A real estate agent should be responsible to learn, understand and keep up with all marketing tools that could and probably should be employed in selling or buying a home. The fact that a real estate agent is “not comfortable with the Internet” when most homes are now sold via the viewing on the Internet by a buyer is no longer an excuse. A real estate agent should be diligent about understanding modes of communication and marketing via every type of media from which a buyer can search and ultimately buy a home.

A real estate agent should not have to turn on their fax machine when they return from the store. They should be in business, full-time, and be set up to do business anytime inside their business hours. A real estate agent should not leave town without backup and just leave a deal hanging as a result. No one cares that the real estate agent is on vacation other than the agent himself. A real estate agent should never tell a seller that open houses don’t work, when in fact, open houses sell properties, everyday. A real estate agent should never be so in-the-box that they laugh at someone for discussing the use of a St. Joseph’s statute. They shouldn’t scoff at the fact that apple pie scent may or may not sell a house just because they don’t want to go to the trouble to explain what may or may not work to the seller.

A real estate agent should not cry when a seller tells them that they no longer want to sell their home or that they are not going to use them to sell the home. A real estate agent should not steal yard signs from lawns or directional signs from subdivisions just because someone did not choose to list the house with them but a competitor. A real estate agent should not bash other business models. They should simply point out the things that they bring to the table and why they feel their business model works better.

A real estate agent should not open the house for a buyer and let them stay in there alone, just because the buyer looks nice. A real estate agent should always look at the identification of a buyer because they recognize that they are responsible for the seller’s property. A real estate agent should always be grateful that someone is willing to pay them thousands of dollars for a job that has never been fully explained to the public as to how little knowledge an agent needs and how little you’re trained when getting your license.

America is unfortunately the only place where all of these standards, or should I say the lack of standards, are applauded everyday as good and acceptable behavior. The public needs to be reminded that an overwhelming number of inexperienced, part-time real estate agents hold in their hands the fate of most people’s largest asset. When will we put our foot down and say enough is enough… real estate is a real profession that requires skill, knowledge and a constant reach to perform strategies and results for clients.

The clients deserve better.

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