From an outsider’s perspective a career in real estate can seem like a dream. With HGTV cranking out series after series depicting agents showing a few houses one day, a short montage of renovation and a happy family reveal, it makes it all look so easy. With it’s flexible schedule and theoretically enormous income, what’s not to love?! Well, as with any job, there is more to being a REALTOR® than meets the eye. A truly dedicated REALTOR®, in my mind, is far more than a salesperson. Although marketing and showing a home in it’s best light is indeed a much needed skill, a good REALTOR® is most importantly an advocate for their buyers and sellers and, as such, there is great depth to the job. All said and done, our work requires us to utilize a very diverse set of skills and this blog series lets you in on the nitty gritty of some of the less commonly acknowledged hats that we wear.
Real Estate Agent as a Marketing Guru:
Anyone that has ever shopped for houses online can tell you a story about the horrendous pictures they’ve seen of homes or if you’ve toured a few houses you know some pictures make a home look either better or worse than the reality of the home. These listings did not represent the home to the world in its best light. A good agent has an eye for how to make your house shine and will work hard to play up its best features and minimize any issues that could be objectionable. A good agent also works hard to ensure that the home is seen by as many prospective buyers as possible. Holding open houses and making individual tours as easy as possible can go a long way to both help as many people see the house as possible, but also to build good will with the agent of a prospective buyer. Maintaining a reputation as an outstanding agent is equally important to our success as is marketing on behalf of each client. I find that often I will get opportunities both buying and selling homes because I am a full time dedicated agent with an agency that is highly respected. Agents on the other side of a deal want to be sure the offer they are accepting is the real deal and my reputation as an agent and the quality of communication I bring can help bring strength to an offer.