Before we know it, the Spring Real Estate Market will be upon us. If you are planning to sell your home or purchase one, HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE A REALTOR?
Trends for 2011 (according to The National Association of Realtors)
Home sellers want experienced and honest agents according to the 2011 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Home sellers care more about integrity and an agent’s ability sell their home than what a Realtor looks like...... and whether or not they are tweeting.The relationship between Realtor and consumer is a KEY COMPONENT, with word of mouth referral still topping the way home buyers and sellers initially connect with their agents.
Over the years, the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) has been a natural part of the real estate process, with 92 percent of sellers this year saying their home was listed through the MLS while 4 percent did not list their home on the MLS and the remaining 4 percent were unsure.
Full service agents (like me) remain the most highly tapped resources, with 80 percent of sellers saying they worked with an agent who could provide a broad range of services and manage most aspects of the sale while 10 percent worked with an agent who provided a limited set of services provided by the remaining 10 percent worked with an agent who listed the home on a MLS and performed few additional services.
What sellers want from their agent
The NAR reports that because so many sellers find their agent through word of mouth, their agent’s reputation is one of the most important factors as consumers want to work with someone a friend or family member has had a good experience with. Word of mouth marketing whether online or off, provides accountability to any service provider as consumers can call the referrer to complain and attempt to go around a professional – it’s common and consumers want that safety net.
Home sellers also say one of the top qualities in an agent that they desire is honesty and trustworthiness as a home is one of the biggest investment of a person’s life.The Bottom Line
If you agree with the National Association of Realtors, then there is only one choice for your 2012 real estate agent...Pam Webb (that's me)! Contact me at pwebb@weichert.com. Have a wonderful New Year and I look forward to working with you in 2012.
