Advantages of Working with a New Agent

First, let me say that I think there are WAY too many people in the business and WAAAAY too many people getting into the business. I've posted about that recently.

I've been in the real estate industry for over thirteen years and I've sold hundreds of homes and I believe that I offer quality, professional, high-touch service for my clients. I'm available on my mobile phone day and night and on weekends and I return phone calls promptly.

My experience gives me the ability to guide my clients and negotiate well and I have a real knowledge about the markets I serve. This comes from years of experience and successes and failures and the examples and participation of hundreds of people I've worked with.

So why would someone choose to work with a brand new agent? Or even an agent who has been in the business less than a year or two? Are there advantages to working with these newbies?

Please keep in mind that this is an extreme generalization and of course, does not apply to everyone. Having said that- here are possible advantages of working with a newer agent.

They're hungry. They need the business and the money. If agent A has twenty homes under contract and seven listed properties and they list your home and it doesn't sell, they'll still be able to pay their bills. But if you list your home with a full time agent who doesn't have any other business and they spend money and time marketing your home and it doesn't sell- that's going to hurt them pretty badly.

They're determined.Real estate is a business where reputation means something. That's why there are so many Divas in the business. Some agents get their names in the newspaper all the time and are recognized every week at their company sales meetings as being a top agent and people in the business get to know their names. My wife was just featured on HGTV's House Hunters (now I get to hear about her gruelling shooting schedule and the life of a movie star for the rest of my life). And new agents, especially with bigger companies, see these agents getting all that attention and they want it too. They want to build a name for themselves and have their names in lights.

They have free time. As much as I pride myself on the high-touch service I give to my clients and as available as I try to be, the reality is- I do a lot of business and that means I am in meetings and working with clients and have things to do. Someone who doesn't have much else going on could call a seller twenty times every day just to chat, and they could do open houses Wednesday- Sunday every week from 10am - 6pm each day or they could stand out in front of Albertsons and hand out flyer's about the property if they wanted (not that too many people would). But I couldn't do that even I wanted to. And if a buyer wants to look at every home that comes on the market for the next seven months I am not the right agent for them. But a new agent with nothing else going on maybe wouldn't mind because they'd be able to learn the area and get the experience and learn the inventory.

They don't have bad habits yet. After doing something, anything, for a long time we develop certain habits. Many of these habits are good, for instance when I take a listing I have certain steps that I take to make sure all the marketing is ordered in a timely manner. I have done it so many times that it's just habit now. But there can be bad habits that form. Some agents tell a seller what to price a listing at- even though it's the seller's home and money. Or some agents have the habit of only calling their listing clients once every two weeks because that's how they've done it for years. Or they don't return phone calls or even answer their phones. New agents don't have these bad habits yet so they can be molded and you can tell them the way you want them to work with you.

They're friendly. I'm a pretty friendly guy and I've always been a people person. I enjoy crowds and I'm very social. And many Realtors are, but many are not. Many agents are unfriendly and impatient and just plain mean. And many of the Divas think the world revolves around them and they don't really care about other people because clients are just numbers to them. But new agents need the business and they need the money and want to help so you'll refer them to your friends and they know that they don't have the experience, so they'll kiss your butt and wait on you hand and foot to please you. They want you to like them and that's not a bad thing.

All things considered, I would rather have an experienced agent helping me with such an important transaction, but every top agent was once a newbie, and this is for all those getting into the business who really do care about doing a great job for their clients.