Special offer

Lake Sinclair buyer says "It doesn't really matter what agent I talk to"

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 GREC# 169695

Yesterday I read a post by Liz Moras on this subject and it prompted me to talk to buyers in my area a little.

I got a call Saturday evening at home. 

 The customer dialed the office number, but at Lane Realty if you dial our office number after business hours, you still get an agent (please don't call after 11, we do need sleep).  It's been a long standing practice at Lane Realty to forward the phone to a full time agent for customers who call during evening hours or before the office opens at 9 a.m.  We strive to be available when customers/clients need us.  And you never know what time someone might call to make an appointment. 

Back to my call.  The caller had been at Lake Sinclair earlier in the day with a cell phone that had service from a company that didn't offer good service in this area.  He was calling to inquire about the price of a home we have listed.  It was not a clear connection and his cell dropped the call.  The duty agent had tried to reach him back and left voice mail.  Later in the evening he was calling to make an appointment to see the home he had inquired about.  I explained to him that I would get in touch with my agent that had duty that afternoon and have them contact him.  He seemed upset that I would not make an appointment with him.  He said, "It doesn't matter who I talk to, I don't care."

Well, I'm about to explain why I think he should care...

When you are looking for a home on Lake Sinclair there are many avenues to do plenty of looking on line.  You can find houses and photos that peak your interest and call agent after agent to make appointments, but it's my opinion this isn't the best way to find a house that suits you.

It's my opinion that you should first decide if you like this area and would like to purchase at home here and then take the following step.

FIND AN AGENT TO HELP  YOU WITH YOUR SEARCH FOR PROPERTY.

You see, Lake property is a very unique thing and Lake Sinclair has 15,000 acres and 417 miles of unique shoreline.  It's about so much more than finding a neighborhood you like and a house you like.  You need an agent with good communication skills to help you with the so much more.  There are things like:

  1. Do you want a boathouse?  a double boathouse?
  2. How deep do you want the water?
  3. Do you want property with a boat launch?
  4. How large would you like your dock?
  5. Would you like open view on the main lake or a quiet cove with less boat traffic where your children or grandchildren can play in the water?
  6. Do you want an area with building restrictions?
  7. When boating are you going to have to let the top down to go under a bridge to get to the main lake?
  8. Do you want the best fishing places on the lake?
  9. Do you want the best skiing places on the lake?
  10. Three counties border the lake with three very different millage rates for property taxes, which is in your budget?
  11. Information about schools and hospitals in the three different counties vary also, would how long it would take an ambulance to reach your home matter?  how about a fire truck?
  12. There are 4 types of ownership on Lake Sinclair: Fee Simple, Strip lease, residential lease, and full lease.

You see, it's complex, and once you hire an agent who is familiar with these things and let them know what is important to you, you can be emailed lists of properties that would fill all or the most important of your wish list.  We are also as agents familiar with which lenders have products for each type of property you might be considering.  For example if you are looking at a lease lot we know which lender to send you to see, or if you are looking at a manufactured home we have loan officers who do those also. 

So it really is to your benefit as a purchaser to find an agent and hire them.  If you sign a Buyer's Brokerage Agreement that agent is then obligated to work on your behalf to help you find a home.

If you wanted to paint your house and you called Lowe's, Home Depot and Ace Hardware and Sherman Williams to inquire about paint... you are still sitting there with the same color.  If you hire a painter and make a contract you will get your house painted.  Same principle.  If you hire an agent, that agent will work FOR YOU to find your Lake Sinclair home.

At Lane Realty we have a staff of full time agents to help you located and negotiate to find the best house at the best price available.  Just give us a call today if you are looking for a home on Lake Sinclair and would like to HIRE an agent to represent you and help you have a Lake Sinclair home soon.

 

Posted by

706-485-9668  us on facebook

Tammy@Lake-Sinclair.com

(Click on Lane Realty Logo for web site)

Tammy Lankford, Broker/Owner

 

Broker License # 169695  Lane Realty License # H-11420

Real Estate Instructor License # 355089

Call me today for all your Lake Sinclair real estate needs.

 Search for homes on Lake Sinclair now

For readers who are not members of ActiveRain feel free to also add your comments or you can click on the EMAIL me link to the right of this blog and email me.  Thanks for reading.

All content belongs to me unless otherwise stated.  Do not use without permission.  Logos and photographs may also be copyright registered. Please do not use without my express written permission.

                                                                                                                  

          

Comments (14)

Li Read
Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring) - Salt Spring Island, BC
Caring expertise...knowledge for you!

Very well expressed.    The comment that resulted in your excellent post, however, still remains a dilemma for all of us.    Today's consumer appears not to care about what we think is essential...they just seem to want the facts, and when they want them, and that kind of irritation at being 'put off", until another agent contacts them, could be the response to that older idea of "agents have control".    It is different, today, and speed of answer/immediacy when client on the phone, is becoming a "norm".    Our role is changing dramatically, and the idea of floor duty getting the call, rather than responding asap to the customer on the line, may be going the way of the dodo.

Nov 12, 2009 02:52 AM
Martha Brown
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Annapolis MD 21403 - Annapolis, MD
Your Homes Around Annapolis Agent

Very well said. All agents are not alike and it is so important to find the one who can truly help you.

Nov 12, 2009 02:53 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Li- I figure education about WHY you should choose ONE good agent to hire is the only way to change the attitude that caused the comment.  And I did work to explain that to the caller and we now do have a client.

Martha- That's true.  But once you find one agent who can help you, it's important to communicate and have a little loyalty.  I'm not suggesting any consumer be loyal to an agent who is not preforming, but they should be loyal to one that is.

Nov 12, 2009 04:10 AM
Jason Crouch
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX
Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)

Tammy - I think part of this comes from our industry's inability to convey the value of having a good buyer's agent.  Nice post, my friend.

Nov 12, 2009 04:38 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Our local board of directors/MLS discussed this recently and have decided to launch an ad campaign on the subject as well.  I think consumer education is really key here.  The industry has made lots of changes with Internet being such a large part of it for buyers now that they seem to think agents are as important, but with the ever changing market, a good agent is more important than ever to a buyer.

Nov 12, 2009 04:52 AM
Suesan Jenifer Therriault
JTHIS-Professional Home Inspection Team - Blakeslee, PA
"Inspecting every purchase as if it were my own".

I've found that working with a good buyers agent is the key to a successful transaction. As a home inspector I get to meet just about all types of agents. I find that there is a great difference between them and what motivates them. So I totally agree with you. While we usually want our answer and we want it yesterday, nothing beats finding the right agent.

Nov 12, 2009 12:44 PM
Mary Douglas
United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado - Red Feather Lakes, CO
REALTOR, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Hi Tammy, I like your analogy to paint -- You've set out some very good reasons to hire an agent, especially in Lake Sinclair!  Well, anywhere for that matter!  I hope some lucky buyer reads your post and now understands what a good thing it is, to have an agent working for him/her in today's market!  Great ideas, Tammy!

Nov 12, 2009 01:42 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Sue- Yes, me too, the internet and instant answers have spoiled us all.  But honestly my agent would have called him back in 10 minutes anyway. 

Mary- just popped in my head because I'm trying to choose a new color for my great room and right after Christmas I'm going to paint spots on my wall and see which color makes me feel good.

Nov 12, 2009 02:24 PM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

Hi Tammy -- Not only does this post point out that you know the best way for a buyer to look for property (with one agent), but you sure do know you're lakefront/water/fishing property too!!

Nov 12, 2009 03:04 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I have a unique history with my home town.  My dad's family has been in this area long enough that I have 7 generations buried locally predating the revolutionary war.  My mom's family owned much of the land that is now Lake Sinclair and lots of roads and subdivision carry family names.  Myrick, Styth, Parham, Jackson... It's been "home" to me all my life.  And when I was kid my folks took me skiing nearly every weekend.  As I got older and quieter they let me go fishing with them too.  Nothing like a fish fry on Sunday afternoon after a weekend of fishing.  I love this my lake, and I think it shows when I work with clients.

Nov 12, 2009 03:51 PM
Cynthia Tilghman, Realtor® Onslow County NC Home Specialist
Kingsbridge Realty, Inc - Hubert, NC

Tammy,
Great subject and many good points.  We must keep trying to educate Buyers on this and many other topics.

Nov 12, 2009 09:24 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Cynthia- you are right about the education.  It's certainly part of our job.

Nov 12, 2009 11:54 PM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Lots of buyers wrongly assume that all agents are the same, and that it doesn't matter which agent they speak with because they offer identical services, when they don't.

In fact, I print out a 30-point buyer services list and give it to buyers so they understand how what I do differs from what other agents do. You might want to put one of those together, Tammy.

Nov 13, 2009 03:12 AM
Liz Loadholt
Liz Loadholt- AgentOwned Realty- Covering SC - Mount Pleasant, SC
Realtor--Broker-in-charge - Trainer--Relocation Director Covering SC

Tammy --- great post for the consumer --- I think your idea is a good one -- to educate as to why they need a realtor.

 
                                                                                

Nov 13, 2009 06:09 AM