PREMIERE
PLUS REALTY, BROKERS
CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER LLC,
AGENT
Office free 866-738-5517 pay 239-455-1977 free fax 941-375-3658 Deane & Chris at Home
239-455-1595
Choose
a Real Estate Agent
A look at the kind of agent to stay
away from - Many
times home buyers do not really know what to expect from a real estate agent.
Chris hears this too often. Our agent was part tour director, part narrator,
part order taker, but never really did what we needed. You need to know what
services to expect from your agent. You do not need an agent who does things
that you could have done for yourself.
If you do not choose an agent
correctly, you may get an agent who is friendly and likeable, but who does not
do all off the many things you need done. The trick for a successful home buying
effort is like the soccer hat trick.
§
One, your buyer agent does certain
things;
§
Two, the seller agent does certain
things;
§
Three, the actual buyers do certain
things.
§
When the actual buyer winds up
needing to do the jobs of the agents, this is really bad.
Here is an illustration of really bad. Agent says “What kind of home do you
want? Which neighborhoods should I show you? What price range fits your budget?”
Just maybe you do not know any of this. Or really bad is this. Once inside a house,
the agent says “This is the living room. This is the kitchen. This is the master
bedroom.” Just maybe you do know all of this.
-1-
PREMIERE PLUS REALTY, BROKERS
CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER LLC,
AGENT
Office free 866-738-5517 pay 239-455-1977 free fax 941-375-3658 Deane & Chris at Home
239-455-1595
Choose a Real Estate
Agent -
continued
Many buyers look at the papers and
magazines, see a home they want to explore further, call the real estate office,
and get hooked up with an agent who wants to show them houses, and then stick
with this agent. Do not do this. Know what services to expect from an agent and
then choose one who delivers. Do not settle for a tour guide and order
taker.
The good agent has worked with many
homebuyers. They have experience and knowledge about all the many types of
homebuyer goals, problems, and obstacles. When you demand an agent to deliver a
full array of services, you gain the benefit of their expertise and experience.
The best real estate agents do not sell real estate. They help people become
homeowners. A good agent works with you until you are sure you have found just
the right home for you. And then the good agent fully realizes that the hard
work has just begun.
-2-
PREMIERE PLUS REALTY,
BROKERS
CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER LLC,
AGENT
Office free 866-738-5517 pay 239-455-1977 free fax 941-375-3658 Deane & Chris at Home
239-455-1595
Choose a Real Estate
Agent -
continued
What
you need the Agent to do for you – In
order to choose an agent, you need to know what to expect the agent to do.
Basically you must choose an agent that you suspect can do these jobs. The agent
will help you to …..
Determine how much
money you can afford to mortgage (this is called pre-qualify). How much house
you can afford depends on several factors, including your income, debts, and
cash savings. Many buyers can afford a house worth two to three times their
annual income. The agent will assist you to determine how you can qualify for a
mortgage on the house you want. The agent may introduce you to sources of down
payment assistance, such as state and local government programs for first-time
buyers.
As part of pre-qualifying you, the
agent will review your finances, help you improve your borrower profile, and
suggest finance plans that can maximize what you can afford.
When the agent
pre-qualifies you for a mortgage, the agent may direct you to several reputable
mortgage agents so you can be pre-approved. (Chris is not only a Realtor but
also a mortgage agent, and you may wish to use his services as a lender).
Encourage you to talk through your
housing possibilities and priorities. Suggest trade-offs and compromises that
will help you to meet your goals within your price range. Help you to clarify
and rank your potential choices.
-3-
PREMIERE PLUS REALTY, BROKERS
CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER LLC,
AGENT
Office free 866-738-5517 pay 239-455-1977 free fax 941-375-3658 Deane & Chris at Home
239-455-1595
Choose a Real Estate
Agent -
continued
Inform you about the overall South
west
Locate homes for you
to inspect, leading to a purchase. Although you will likely check out homes on
the Internet, the agent has already seen many homes in person and can help
determine which ones may be right for you. The agent will then schedule and
attend showings with you.
Imagine ways that
homes you inspect may be adapted to you. The agent may recommend changes that
will help a home fit your needs and provide names of vendors qualified to do the
work.
Provide market facts, such as recent
comparable sale prices, how long homes have been on the market, have homes had
price increases or decreases, and how difficult or easy it is to find similar
homes.
Monitor the ever changing market and
alert you to good buys as soon as they come on the market.
The agent will assist
you to make a favorable offer contract to present to the home seller. The agent
will structure any contingencies that must be met before the final sale, such as
selling a home, obtaining a mortgage, or passing an inspection.
-4-
PREMIERE PLUS REALTY, BROKERS
CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER LLC,
AGENT
Office free 866-738-5517 pay 239-455-1977 free fax 941-375-3658 Deane & Chris at Home
239-455-1595
Choose a Real Estate
Agent -
continued
The good agent will
prove their worth during negotiations. Armed with information on comparable
sales, the agent may help you navigate the world of offers, counteroffers,
bidding wars, and contract deadlines.
The time between
acceptance of the offer by the sellers and the day of title closing when you are
the new owners, is the most critical period of the whole home buying process. A
good agent will give you the needed assistance to navigate through appraisers,
inspectors, surveyors, title agents, credit bureaus, a final walk through
inspection, and more.
Suggest ways that you might improve
a home by redecorating, remodeling, and renovating to enhance its market value
and better meet the needs of your family.
Closely track your home buying
effort, from beginning to end. Verify that the many, many people involved, are
actually completing their assigned tasks according to schedule. Anticipate and
respond to roadblocks or problems that may arise. Keep you fully informed. Keep
things on track for a smooth and successful home buying experience?
Work with the seller’s agent to
obtain all things that the buyer is entitled to such as Seller Disclosure
Statement. (This statement may warn you about defects that need to be
fixed).
-5-
PREMIERE PLUS REALTY, BROKERS
CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER LLC,
AGENT
Office free 866-738-5517 pay 239-455-1977 free fax 941-375-3658 Deane & Chris at Home
239-455-1595
Choose a Real Estate
Agent -
continued
Beware
of Puffery by an agent – There is a long standing but legal
practice in real estate that can divert you from getting the information you
need to make a good decision. It is called "puffery."
Undue, exaggerated
praise, flattery, publicity, commendation used
for promotional purposes.
Some agents Chris considers to be
unethical agents, because they purposely use puffery to mask their lack of
knowledge and to explicitly attempt to avoid allowing you to learn what they are
really like. These agents have learned to couch their comments in terms of
puffery or opinions because opinions permit them to escape liability for
misleading you.
An agent who puffs about himself may
also puff about the product you are looking for. Beware of the quick and casual,
''oh this is a great neighborhood and you will love the people here.” Chris will invite you to stop a near by
neighbor for a chat and let you hear for yourself what they have to say about
the neighborhood and its residents.
Many home buyers are destined to
fail because they unconsciously accept puffery in lieu of facts or in lieu of
first hand opinion or opinion by persons who have no financial interest in the
answer.
-6-
PREMIERE PLUS REALTY, BROKERS
CHRISTOPHER LADD HARKER LLC,
AGENT
Office free 866-738-5517 pay 239-455-1977 free fax 941-375-3658 Deane & Chris at Home
239-455-1595
Choose a Real Estate
Agent -
continued
Chris likes the community where he
lives and told people he thought very highly of the place. But when Chris
questioned a neighbor about it with the buyers, the neighbor described to the
buyers what he thought were the strengths and weaknesses of the neighborhood,
and said that on whole, they did not like it and were going to move. Which is
best for you? Chris saying, ''Oh, this is a great neighborhood.” Or having the
neighbor telling you about the strengths and weaknesses of the
neighborhood?
How to evaluate an
agent - In choosing an
agent, there are certain questions you should ask about any potential
agent.
The first question
you should ask is whether the agent is a member of the National and Florida
State Association of REALTORS®. Then, is the agent a member of the various local
Associations of REALTORS® needed to cover the geographical area where you have
an interest?
Does the agent have
an active real estate license in good standing? To find this information, you
can check with Florida Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation, Division
of Real Estate.
Does the agent
belong to all Multiple Listing Services (MLS) needed to represent the whole
geographic area that you are interested in? (Multiple Listing Services are
cooperative information networks of REALTORS® that provide descriptions of most
of the houses for sale in a particular region).
-7-
PREMIERE PLUS REALTY, BROKERS CHRISTOPHER
LADD HARKER LLC,
AGENT
Office free 866-738-5517 pay 239-455-1977 free fax 941-375-3658 Deane & Chris at Home
239-455-1595
Choose a Real Estate
Agent -
continued
Does the agent
belong to other information networks that allow tracking of homes not
represented in the MLS such as for sale by owner (FSBO) and foreclosure
homes?
Is real estate
agency their full-time regular career, or is it a second income source?
Does the agent own
an actual real estate company or firm which employs the agent, with that
agent-owned company affiliating by contract to a brokerage firm? You can check
with Florida Dept. of State, Division of Corporations.
What real estate
education courses has the agent taken recently and through out the years?
Which party does the
agent represent – buyer or seller or both? In