For Outstanding Service & Representation, Commit to One RE/MAX Agent

Ready to jump into the market? Good!! Interest rates are low. Inventory is high, and sellers are feeling “negotiable”. It’s the perfect time to buy. You’ve done things right. Your loan is in place. Now you’ve found a handful of homes that you might like to see. Ok, so you start to call the realtors. 5 Houses. 5 Agents. 5 Phone Calls.  The 1st  listing agent asks “So, have you been working with an agent?”  The 2nd agent asks “So, have you been working with an agent?”   See a pattern? Why so many questions? Why don’t they JUST set an appointment to show the home?

A common misconception that potential buyers may have, especially first time buyers that know little about the process, is that working with several agents will get them better, faster results, and that they will see more homes.  Buyers want to make sure that they are not missing out on any homes that may be in their price range, in the areas of town they like. A buyer may not understand how the Multiple Listing Service works, and that all realtor® members have access to all listed properties. If a buyer has 2 or 3 agents that they decided they might like to work with keeping them informed about the market, and providing them with listings, the buyer should quickly see a duplication of efforts. That can become confusing and result in problems down the line about who is entitled to claim that they “threshold” the buyer, and ultimately represented the buyer at contract time.

Agents have a Standard of Practice, 16-9 in the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, that dictate that we must make every reasonable effort to ensure that the buyer we are getting ready to assist is not under a contractual obligation with another agent to provide the same service. That is why we ask if you’ve been working with anyone. Please let us know. We will make every effort to make sure you see our listing and work cooperatively with your agent if the answer is “yes”.

To ensure that you are receiving top-notch representation, and to make sure you are seeing all homes that could suit you and your family, commit to one agent.  Your agent should be a member of the Greater Cincinnati Multiple Listing service, like all members of The RealCincy Group.  Randy is also a member of The Northern Kentucky MLS, and can assist you in both Ohio and Kentucky.

You can tell if your agent is listening to your wants and needs, taking into consideration your preferences, and comfort price range, and providing listings to you that most closely meet your criteria.  You should expect updates as frequently as the market changes: immediate notification of new listings that match your criteria, and notification of price reductions. 

Your agent should be able to discuss with you market trends and analysis, and provide you with the information you need to make a good, solid home buying decision.  Your agent should provide you with information about how Agency Representation works in this area: buyer agency, seller agency and disclosed dual agency.  Your agent, in my opinion, should be a full time, dedicated real estate professional, not someone that sells “after my real job” or while the kids are in school. In this market, most of those “dabblers” have gone on to another job…..but they are still out there. Be careful!

Not all real estate agents are the same. I know realtors® that have been in the business for 15 – 20 years, but sell about 3 or 4 homes a year. Real Estate Agents pay big dues and fees. We buy all of our own equipment (lockboxes, keypads, signs, etc) and pay for continuing education, so that never made sense to me.  Anyway, is that person going to have the field experience necessary to guide you through the process? Is the agent that you choose to work with also holding down a full-time job elsewhere? How tapped into the market do you think they are when they don’t have the time to watch MLS, read trade publications, and perform trend analysis? How quick will she be to address any issues that arise during the day, when her boss doesn’t allow personal calls on the clock?

One great analogy I heard was this: many of us have a driver’s license, but do we all have the skills necessary to drive safely and negotiate difficult road conditions? One trip around I-275 on a rainy day in rush hour answers that question!

For outstanding service and representation, work with a RE/MAX agent.  RE/MAX agents sell 39% more homes than our fine competitors at other national franchises. That translates into experience. You need experience to guide you through the process.  Now, as if there were any question, I am going to recommend not just any RE/MAX agent, but a member of The RealCincy Group with RE/MAX Unlimited. 

Give us a call or send an email.  Don’t Call on Signs. Don’t Call on Ads…..Call one of Us!