A buyer makes a huge mistake, but he has no idea he is making it. He's in a very respected profession, and he's a mature and intelligent man. He has a good friend, and his good friend's wife is a real estate agent. So when he wants to buy a house, he automatically hires his friend's wife. After all, she is a real estate agent. Notice that word "automatically."
This is a true story. As it turns out, his friend's wife is not so competent and not so ethical or professional. The details don't matter for purposes of this brief story, but the bottom line is that Mr. Professional gets less than royal treatment, and that is the understatement of the century. I'm being polite here. At the time Mr. Professional had no idea how his own agent sabotaged his transaction with her incompetence and unprofessionalism. He never knew, that is, until much later, when he subsequently finds out, and later tells me the whole story.
What's the moral of this story? Just because your friend's wife is a real estate agent does NOT mean she is a great agent who will do such a great job for you. Why in the world would someone assume they must hire their friend's wife or sister or friend? I'll tell you why, and when you think about it, it just seems dumb. They hire that person simply because of that relationship. Period. That is the ONLY reason. It's hard to believe, but this happens regularly, and I hear the nightmare stories.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with hiring a friend's wife as your Realtor, if she is truly competent, experienced, professional, and ethical, but for goodness sake, do some due diligence first. Go out and interview at least three agents, and choose those three carefully by filtering through the Internet to first read about them and find the one with the best education PLUS experience PLUS a powerful Internet presence. The first two should be obvious, but don't forget that 85% of all home buyers start their search on the Internet today according to a national survey by the National Association of Realtors, so if your agent doesn't have a powerful Internet presence, go somewhere else.
Honestly, I have heard so many stories from good people who hired a housewife as their agent because she was a sister of someone or a brother's aunt's daughter, and after they have made the same big mistake that so many before have innocently made, they shake their head in disbelief as they talk about it.
Why would I be so blunt and honest in this article? Because I have seen this same scenario so many times as a real estate attorney and again as a real estate broker that I think I'll scream it out--All real estate agents are NOT the same. Hire a good one, not just someone who has a license and is your friend's wife. Many of these agents have no business background, no degree in marketing or sales, no real estate knowledge, other than the little online courses required to pass the test, and virtually no experience in hard negotiating or legal documents, and you're hiring this person to spend your $300,000? Eghad!
Okay. I've said it. Now you have some choices to make. Hire someone who is bold and honest and has the experience, someone who will assertively represent you, or . . . hire Tom, Sally, or Jane who just happens to be a friend of a friend and got his or her license.
Not sure who to hire? Call me and ask me anything under the sun, and I'll answer your questions honestly. Do the same with two other Realtors. Then judge for yourself. If you don't think I'm the man for the job, then hire someone else, but don't you deserve the opportunity to find out for yourself before you hire Jane or Sally automatically?
I recently read a blog by another real estate agent somewhere in the U.S. who wrote that if you are a buyer you can get good professional help in any real estate office by any agent, or words to that effect. I disagree with that statement.
Does anyone think all lawyers are the same? Or how about all school teachers, or football coaches, or dentists, or auto mechanics? Of course they are not the same. Neither are all real estate agents equal. I recently received a very insightful question from a prospective client. I love his question, because it shows me he really is thinking about who he retains as a Realtor, and he knows it makes a difference. Here is his question and my answer.
Hi Chuck:
I have been corresponding via email with a couple of agents in your neck of the woods. All are very helpful. I have read some of your articles and a question came to mind: why should a potential buyer pick you over other agents working diligently in the market? We haven’t visited Sequim as yet, but will in June ’09, and we will at that time decide if this is the place to buy a home.
Thanks, [name withheld in this article]
My response follows:
I love your question. I wish every buyer asked that same question. One of my pet peeves is that I compete with every Tom, Dick, and Jane who got a real estate license, but if clients don't do some due diligence, how will they ever differentiate us? I'm not able to talk too much about my own resume on my blogs, because that would be arrogant and turn people off, including me. [Remember reader, I'm breaking my rule here and answering a question about myself.] My business is client-centric, so I try to write about subjects that clients are actually interested in. BUT since you asked a direct question, "Why should a potential buyer pick you over other agents working diligently in the market?," I will answer it directly.
1. My education includes a B.A. in economics, a law degree with a focus on real estate, and three decades of real estate seminars on legal issues, sales and marketing, and negotiating. But education without more is meaningless.
2. My experience in detail would bore you here, because it includes 30 years in real estate, but suffice it to say that I've handled thousands of transactions as a Realtor in Alaska, Nevada, and Washington, and as a real estate attorney of 20 years. (See my detailed resume.) I just sold a $475,000 house to a buyer from California, and his testimony is probably the best reality check you could possibly get on me. I called him and asked if he would mind if you called him and asked him how it was working with me, and he said he would be delighted to talk with you. He's worked with other agents, too, so he can give you a real comparison. [Client's name and number withheld]
3. As your buyer's agent, I cost you nothing. The seller pays my fee. I love that. I enjoy negotiating for my clients to get the best possible price and terms. In once case I saved a client $80,000. In another recent case, I helped a client as a buyer's agent buy a house for$251,000 in a very intense negotiation that saved him about $38,000. As a buyer's agent, I'm selling a house every other month. There are agents here who haven't sold a house in over a year. By the way, I do no print advertising.
Here are more detailed articles that I've written for your benefit on these subjects:
[name withheld], I'd love to work with you, and I honestly believe you will get more from me than any other agent. I would recommend you meet with me when you get here, and see if you are convinced I'm competent and trustworthy. I'm looking forward to meeting you and working with you.
Chuck E. Marunde, J.D.
Broker/Realtor
Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate, LLC
618 South Peabody St., Suite I
Port Angeles, WA 98362
360-775-5424
Sequim and Port Angeles home sales activity for the first three months of this year compared to last year is instructive. Here we have a graph of the number of single family homes listed for sale in the local MLS and expired or withdrawn in the first three months for 2008 and 2009 (only the Olympic Listing Service has all MLS listings for our area, the NWMLS only includes some of our local listings, so be sure you are searching with the OLS MLS).
That we have so many listings that have not sold, but have been removed from the market should be no surprise when we look at this graph showing how the actual sales of single family homes in the first three months of this year compares to the first three months of 2008.
Two local businessmen have teamed up to put their combined career experiences together for a powerful and much needed seminar on "Business and Marketing Strategies" and "Website Marketing in a Changing World." David Schoolfield of Schoolfield Publishing and Marketing and Chuck Marunde of Sequim and Port Angeles Real Estate, LLC will be teaching seminars starting in Olympia on March 24th.
The morning session will be taught by David Schoolfield and will include:
Increasing sales without increasing your budget.
How to buy Yellow Pages, choose directiories and save money.
The importance of Basic 101 training for your staff.
The top ten reasons your advertising fails.
Internet marketing and how to increase your website sales.
Targeting your customers
The afternoon session will be taught by Chuck Marunde and will include:
How to jump on the internet marketing train.
Finding and connecting with customers in hyperspace.
How to avoid being left behind with an outdated marketing strategy.
Using traditional marketing to drive traffic to your internet sites.
Adding the strategic power of the internet to traditional marketing concepts to increase your marketing effectiveness 10 to 100 times!
If you want to learn how to increase your business revenue with effective advertising, how to build a better trained staff, and how to create new customers even during lean times, don't miss this 3-hour information-packed presentation featuring David Schoolfield who has over 35 years of experience in every aspect of business and marketing. David’s clients have included the Missouri Lottery, Hot Springs Arkansas Tourism, Coca Cola, Edison Bros. (The Gap), and many more. He has held positions in sales and executive management in radio, television, newspaper and magazine, including business trouble-shooter and Vice President of major radio groups and Vice President of Braswell & Associates Yellow Page Consultants where he helped save national clients thousands of dollars in Yellow Page advertising.
This is a hard-hitting look at current business and marketing strategies, with David Schoolfield providing practical, no-frills, no-nonsense approaches to increasing your business revenue in any economic environment. If you’re interested in learning the cost-saving inside secrets of marketing your advertising sales reps will never tell you, register today for only $149.00 for this morning session! Bring 2 or more guests and save $50 each.
Chuck Marunde is the owner of a real estate brokerage, a number of lead generating webs and blogs, the founder of an online newspaper, an internet marketing consultant, and an SEO expert. He also brings 30 years of experience in real estate to the table, including 20 years as a real estate attorney. He is a professional writer with articles in magazines ranging from Pacific Northwest Home to Ultimate Grappling Magazine, and has published hundreds of articles on the internet. His websites and blogs are getting over 50,000 unique hits per month with over half a million page views already in January and February of 2009. This is a high-energy 2-hour seminar focused on bringing your business into the Internet age. You can build your Internet presence now and reap the rewards in the future, or you can watch your competition pass you by. Learn the Internet myths you don't need to waste your money on, and learn the strategies that really do work. Register today for only $149.00 for this afternoon session! Bring 2 or more guests and save $50 each.
To learn more about the seminar schedules and to register, go to Seminar Schedule.
Do you have a Sequim home for sale, maybe a FSBO? Retired real estate attorney Chuck Marunde, now a real estate broker, Internet marketing consultant, and writer, wrote an eBook for homeowners who have thought about selling their own homes. The eBook is short and to the point, but with the content and the resources made available in the eBook, there are over a 100 pages of solid content, especially for the Sequim and Port Angeles homeowner.
The subjects covered include topics on arriving at an accurate fair market value, appraisals, advertising and marketing, negotiating like an expert, an MLS tool for homeowners to look at what is for sale now in Clallam County, free classifieds for advertising, a list of document titles for the legal documents that may be needed, and traps for the unwary (like the Form 17 Seller's Disclosure).
FOR VISTA users: If you are running VISTA on your computer, after you download the program, you open it by right clicking on the icon and then clicking on the "Run as Administrator" button. On XP or other operating systems, you don't have to do that, but VISTA is quirky.
They preached long term investing in the stock market, the gurus, the
brokers, those Wall Street tokers. I invested my hard earned money so I
could grow old and take care of my honey.
What I didn’t know is they were greedy, the gurus, the brokers, those Wall
Street tokers. While I chose conservative funding, they sold derivatives
with their cunning.
They lost my savings and my future, the gurus, the brokers, those Wall
Street tokers. But they went home with billions, While my government
spends trillions.
While I worked 40 years, they partied on their yachts, the gurus, the
brokers, those Wall Street tokers. I carefully invested in WaMu, GM, and
Microsoft, But then I didn’t count on greed and fraud and Madoff.
So I’ll sing a song, a favorite of my youth to the gurus, the brokers,
those Wall Street tokers. Hi ho, hi ho, off to work I go, I’m screwed, I’m
screwed, I’m screwed, I’m screwed, I’m screwed, I’m screwed, I’m screwed, I’m
screwed.
Want to help Sequim and Port Angeles grow in the right direction? Ever wonder what you can do to make a valuable contribution toward that end? Are you passionate about some issues but not others? Do you want to make your opinion count with hundreds or thousands of other Sequim and Port Angeles residents?
Complete this survey and we'll enter you in our monthly drawing for the $100 cash giveaway! (Sequim & Port Angeles Residents Only, see survey for details)
This survey seeks insight into what drew you to move here, what you love most about living here, and what you would change. You'll have simple multiple choice and a couple of essay questions you can choose to answer or not. Tell the truth about how you feel, and identify yourself or remain anonymous. It's up to you.
Now you can help by taking this easy online survey, and the results will be made available to you and shared with decision makers who will hear your voice. The survey consists of 28 easy questions and you can probably take it in 5 to 10 minutes.
Results can be emailed to you and will be subsequently compiled here for analysis. This is another community service from your friends right here at Sequim and Port Angeles News Online.
I finished raising my children in Sequim from 1994, and prior to that we lived in Las Vegas for five years, and prior to that seven years in Spokane, and prior to that 22 years in Alaska where I grew up. I hereby testify that the weather and climate in Sequim is precisely between the two extremes found in Nevada and Alaska.
I do not miss 70 degrees below (Farenheit) in Tok, Alaska, nor the ice fog that greatly reduces visibility on the streets of Fairbanks at 50 degrees below. We burned 10 cords of wood every winter, and guess who had the privilege of cutting and splitting the wood? I loved it.
Nor do I miss 115 degrees in the sunny climate of Vegas. I've been a jogger my whole life, and running daily in the desert heat at 90 to 110 degrees was . . . well, it was sweaty. But I loved it.
But there's nothing like the in-between. We have the Olympic Mountains, we have the rain forest, and we have sunshine down here near the water. Talking about water, we have more beautiful water front property here than any place I lived in Alaska or Nevada.
My son, Bristol, who is a professional mixed martial arts fighter, now lives and fights in Vegas. He called me today to tell me how nice and warm it was there, about 70 degrees. I talked to my folks who still live in Tok, Alaska, and it was 65 degrees below. That's a 135 degree difference on the same day.
What was it in Sequim? About 50 degrees, and this is winter. Home sweet home. You gotta love it in Sequim.
[Photo taken by Chuck Marunde at Four Mile Lake up the Taylor Highway just outside of Tok, Alaska. The only way to the Lake from the gravel road way off the beaten path known as the Alaska Highway was to pull our canoes over moss and muskeg for about two or three miles. We did that with four wheelers. We caught several trout and immediately went to shore and cooked them on a grate over an open fire with a little spice my sister had with her. Wow! Incredible! Anybody want to go fishing up north?]
Sequim and Port Angeles now have a newspaper online with a new and exciting look and content that is driven by local interests, stories, and helpful news. This is bigger than it may sound for several reasons. What sets this newspaper apart from the Sequim Gazette or the Peninsula Daily News? A lot. Here's the short list:
Exclusive Online Newspaper. People are using the Internet for almost everything, including reading the news and searching for information. The Internet is an amazing venue, because it doesn't matter whether a person lives in Sequim or Port Angeles, or in Santa Barbara or Phoenix, all can do the same search on the Internet and read the same news online. Now with a dedicated online news source, Sequim and Port Angeles has joined the rest of the world with an exclusive online newspaper.
User Friendly. This online newspaper is designed for consumers to be easily navigated with news well organized as well as information and classified ads easily accessed. Logical and intuitive navigation is no small thing these days. Sometimes it's hard to find what you're looking for on the Internet, but this newspaper is designed to make it easy and enjoyable to read. Readers will love our articles and the positive focus of our efforts. We seek to educate our readers with solid news, local news, national news of interest, photographs of local activities, opinions and commentaries, good advice, and a free classified ad service online only for Sequim and Port Angeles buyers and sellers. Our readers will receive valuable services, all free, including the ability to search the entire Sequim and Port Angeles MLS (multiple listing service) online without registration. Readers are encouraged to submit news and human interest stories. When was the last time a print newspaper made that offer? Our readers can email news to our editor and submit news of local events and local people. This makes this newspaper something that is essentially owned by Sequim and Port Angeles residents. You can not only read the news, you can be the news.
Free Subscription Online. While print newspapers have to rely upon subscription fees and advertising income, we offer our online newspaper to our readers absolutely free. Not only is our newspaper free online, many of the services that are packaged with our newspaper are free, including a powerful online classified ad service dedicated to Sequim and Port Angeles, MLS searches, and much more to come.
Independently Owned. Traditional business models for print newspapers are completely different creatures. Print newspapers have a lot to worry about, including high overhead and massive fixed and variable expenses, and as a result they have to chase businesses (with some high pressure techniques) to pay for expensive advertising. That is a driving force for print newspapers that a dedicated online newspaper simply does not have. You'll be pleased with our online newspaper, because obnoxious advertising isn't slapping you in the face every time you look at it. What does that mean for consumers? It means news that is focused on what consumers are truly interested in reading without artificial or hidden agendas. It also means we can publish human interest stories and positive news that inspire and encourage its readers. You may wonder who the founder and editor is. That would be ChuckMarunde , J.D. Chuck is a retired real estate attorney, real estate broker, and author. Chuck is an avid writer on the Internet and an Internet marketing consultant. This is another of the community services that Chuck is pleased to offer.
Real Estate News Bulletin for Sequim buyers and sellers - FREE. Let's get to the point. Exactly what is free? All 18 of the following incredible resources are absolutely free with no obligation and no required registration on your part, courtesy of retired real estate attorney and now real estate broker and Realtor Chuck Marunde, who has been giving away free help on the Internet in Sequim and Port Angeles since 1995.
2. FREE - Hundreds of articles on Sequim and Port Angeles real estate, buying and selling, negotiation secrets of an experienced negotiator, legal issues to avoid by an experienced attorney, how the real estate brokerage business really works behind the scenes by an experienced Broker, online marketing tips for selling real estate by an expert Internet marketing Realtor, no holds barred tips for buying real estate for the best possible price and the best terms, and much more.
3. FREE - The most powerful and easy to use mortgage calculators online, figure out how much you qualify for, find out what your monthly payment would be, discover what additional payments will do.
Why are all these valuable and content-rich resources offered absolutely FREE? With the real estate market in such a slump, I'm working very hard to give clients real value, and to do what I've practiced my whole life: give and give and give, and eventually it comes back. I'm hoping that clients and prospective clients will see that I'm giving them something of value and asking for NOTHING in return. Of course, they can always email me and ask questions and find out if I am credible and whether they think I can help them. I do love helping people, so I think that makes a difference, and I think people can sense that.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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