Our goal with this blog is challenging. Although we are Realtors and we do sell properties, we want our customers to trust us and to know that we represent their best interest. We have established a great reputation and hope to convey that message to our readers. I want to thank Rebecca Blood who has inspired me into writing more in depth about what we do with the idea of establishing a clear road of communication where we can dialogue openly and honestly about our market.
Rick and I specialize in the South Florida Real Estate Market, specifically The Miami Shores and surrounding areas. We work with sellers for the most part but also work with a limited amount of buyers, buyers that we can offer our time and effort because they are loyal.
As a buyer, you need to work with an agent you feel comfortable with, one that will show you a wide range of properties, not only their listings. If you are working with an agent that doesn't give you their opinion, that thinks every property you walk into is perfect for you, then it's probably time to find a new agent. A professional real estate agent will identify your needs, will be able to separate the emotional from the practical and will not be afraid to tell you, "don't buy this one, this is not the house for you".
During meetings with your agent certain questions should be answered:
As a seller, it is crucial that you keep an objective mind when interviewing real estate agents. Price is not everything; a lot of agents will try to "buy" your listing by promising a higher sales price. Getting more money is every seller's goal, but by pricing your property too high, you will only be doing yourself a disservice. In a buyer's market, like the one we are in now, there is a lot of inventory (a lot of choice for buyers), and not pricing a property accordingly will only keep you out of the race.
During your first listing appointment, a listing agent should:
These are just a few guidelines to help you find an agent to sell or buy a property. Rick and I pride ourselves in great service and will be shockingly candid. We let our buyers know when a property is overpriced; we let them know what the repercussions will be when buying the most expensive house on the block. We also walk away from listings when sellers want to overprice. Our reputation follows us, we are ethical, we are open and our customers become our friends.
Please feel free to ask us questions about the South Florida Real Estate Market, if we are not familiar with your area, we will refer you to someone that is.
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Miami Luxury Real Estate - from Fisher Island to Aventura including Miami Beach, Miami Shores, Bay Harbor Islands & Surfside - specializing in Luxury, historic and waterfront homes
Historic Preservation in Miami Shores - Mediterranean Revival architecture
Miami Shores annual Marshmallow Drop ......continued
Miami Shores Florida - Market Conditions
Relay for Life - Purple Pelican Nesting sites in Miami Shores
1201 NE 98th Street, Miami Shores - Florida 33138 *IMPROVED PRICE*
Miami Shores annual Marshmallow Drop
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Excellent post Ines, This post goes along way towards educating the consumer and in my opinion that is soooooooo important. Selling or purchasing a home is a major deal and finding the right agent to help you will make the process mush more enjoyable and will ensure positive results. I know who I'm using when it comes time to buy the ocean front paradise for me and my bride.
Ines...This is excellent. What a great clear explanation of the value of REALTOR. Thanks so much for posting it...we can all benefit from the message in this post.
Ines - what a power-packed post this is - loads of great information for both buyers and sellers. You did a GREAT job explaining all of this, and clearly the clients you and Rick work with are serviced very well.
Outstanding post!
Ann
Ines...
This is a wonderful way to reach out to the consumer with excellent advice :)
Buying or Selling a home requires having someone who cares enough to be honest.
TLW...ROAR!
Bryant - that is exactly my intent - we need to ecucate and help the consumer discriminate between good and bad services. It will be a pleasure to show you oceanfront properties when you are ready!
Monica - thank you, it means so much coming from you, trainer extraordinaire!
Ann - thank you - it's not easy writing these posts because there is sooo much information - you know I could have gone on forever.
TLW - honesty is the key - I think it is obvious which of us consider that the most important factor in our business. (I miss your TLW signature, where did it go?)
Sorry Ines...
There has been so much controversy over the signatures that I decided to just stop doing it. For Now :)
Who am I to rub fur the wrong way? :)
Elderberry? Hmmm. That must be one of those signs :)
TLW...ROAR!
Ines ~ this is a great primer for working with you. As a consumer I would have a clear understanding of what to expect. No surprises is a good thing!
Thanks!
kk
TLW - I think we all have our personality, you were not spamming and it was not offensive, that's my take.
Hi Kristal! thanks so much for that - no surprises is a GREAT thing!
Ines, these are great questions and guidlines that you have listed here. I know I would find them very helpful if I was selling my house and buying another one. There are so many Realtors out there that it is hard to know which one is the right one for you. This Post should go a long way in helping a Seller or Buyer make that selection.
George - there are certainly a lot more guidelines, but thought this is a good start. The main point being to get consumers to trust that you represent their best interest, not your wallet's.
Ines, what a great post. In the short time I've been at ActiveRain I've learned to expect them from you. The Rebecca Blood forum was an incredible opportunity to learn. You're inspiring me yourself Chica! Thank you. And another thanks to Billie for getting Rebecca over here. You've applied well and the consumer will clearly understand the benefits of working with you.
Maggie - I'm flattered! we only aspire to inspire! Rebecca has bloggin for some time and she is so willing to share what she knows so unselfishly. TLW is awesome!
:)
THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!! you can leave your signature in my posts anytime TLW!
Ines,
What a great post. I've never bought a house, and after reading this, I feel I know what to look for in selecting a realtor. I have some further comments on real estate blogs in general over in the original interview thread. Trust me when I say that we need more realtor blogs that will write about their expertise with such honesty, clarity, and passion.
Thank you, Thank you Rebecca - that will be my goal ---->honesty, clarity and passion (those are some hefty ones!). I think as Realtors, our focus should be to think back BEFORE we were agents, to simplify and not assume people understand all the lingo and trends. One of my best friends lives in San Francisco (which BTW is one of my favorite cities), and understand the frustration with trying to understand the SF market.
Wow! Ines! This was great. I am going to have to put together one of these for Derek & I, as well. What a great synopsis. Thanks for the idea...
Thanks for the credit Mariana - but the idea was not mine - it's about creating that "trusting relationship" and really educating starting with the basics....and the fun continues. Thank YOU for the feedback.
While you have one of the finest real estate blogs IMNSHO, I have to say the picture almost says it all, all by itself. Your caring shows in the picture. Clearly I would utilize your services if I were buying a property in the Miami Area. I can tell your genuine and sincere desire to be of good service to your clients, just from your blog.
Ardell - I confess that I had to go look up (In my not so humble opinion) LOL! You have no idea what your comment means to me - THANK YOU! I know you are ALWAYS sincere and say what's on your mind. Let me know when you're in Miami so I can show you around town, and we can visit the HOT spots and have a little fun.
Thank you Harriet - welcome to Active Rain! thanks for stopping by and look forward to seeing you around the rain.
Ines
This was well done. You so have no problem getting the consumer to trust you.
Thank you Jennifer - We all need to earn the trust of the consumer, it's not easy and it begins with our actions, education and communication...blogging is a great tool for that and I think all of us here are way ahead of the game.
Sometimes my opinion is humble...but not very often. Humility is not my strong suit. Used to go to Lauderdale every year, Not sure why I never made it to Miami. Looking forward to it. But L.A. is Monday and Vegas is in April.
Ardell - don't know why you never made it to Miami either - just keep it on the back of your head when you're down in S. Florida - enjoy LA and Vegas!
Trust is earned. In relationships and in business and of course : in Real Estate. Through our actions, deeds, words and results. It is built with every client we have and passed on in the form of referrals from those that already trust us. I don't think we should ask our clients to trust us. They 1) will over time, 2) already do, or 3) won't.
Kaushik - although I totally agree with your statement, this medium of blogging needs to portray trust through our words more than our actions. I think it's easy to prove ethics and integrity with actions, but we need to do this through our written word as well, which is not an easy task. Our blog will show our personality, the way we do business and will guide the consumer into identifying the right person to do business with.
Ines
Great insights. If one look at the list of what we have to do, perhaps, the public will realize that we earn every dollar we make! Trust, ethical conduct and knowledge stand out.
Thanks Lloyd - none of our customers ever have any doubt that we earn every cent we make - we need to earn their trust and show what we're worth - and it doesn't hurt to work your butt off as well! :)
You guys are great. I really did like your piece alot and you made great points. If you were in Louisville KY I would promote you the best I could
Thanks so much Benjamin! That is what this network is about .....establishing relations throughout the country, you never know when we'll have a customer in Louisville!
This is a great marketing piece that I am confident will draw in business...
The trusting relationships is what we're looking for...and if it creates business then it's a YESSSS!
Ines - don't know how I missed this one when you first posted it. I'm glad you linked to it from your new post on your blogging project. You certainly have a "voice" in this one, one that makes me want to work with you!
Sharon - we hosted an open forum with Rebecca Blood and the dialogue inspired me. She gave us a "consumer's point of view" that was interesting and raised questions to be answered. The question of trust is huge to the consumer because our industry has a bad reputation. Thanks for stopping by.