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What Secrets Should I NOT Tell My Realtor, by Leander McClain Realtor, Cherry Hill NJ

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Real Estate Agent

realtor secrets by leander mcclain, cherry hill nj realtorLast week, someone ended up on my blog by doing the following Google search:

What I Should NOT Tell My Realtor?

This really got me thinking (I hope this was not one of my clients :). Now I am not a lawyer and I cannot give legal advice, but I will explain to you how I work with my clients in New Jersey. My relationship with all clients is like the relationship with a doctor or an attorney. What you tell me stays with me. If I must discuss something you have told me with others, I will get your permission first. In for me to work with my clients, they must trust and like me. They must feel that I always have their best interest at heart…..otherwise; our professional relationship will be a difficult one.

There are things that you may feel you should NOT tell your Realtor. Let’s discuss a few.

 

  • You Have Bad Credit. I cannot tell you how many times I have had clients come to me looking to purchase a home. When I ask general questions about their credit history, they tell me, they only have a couple of credit cards and they always pay on time. When I refer them to a mortgage professional, I find out that their last house went to foreclosure, they owe $30,000 in back child support, every credit card they have is over the limit and they have tax liens and court judgments against them. If You Have Bad Credit, Tell Your Realtor! Before we get in the car, before we spend a lot of time looking at houses online, we are going to get you qualified for a mortgage. If you don’t qualify for a mortgage, then we need to get you on a credit restoration plan so that you can purchase a home sometime in the future.

  • The Home You Are Looking To Sell is Owned by Someone Other Than Yourself – Many times, my clients have been living in a home for many years. The mortgage and taxes are up to date. However, they do not own the home. I had a case where a son lived at home with his mother. He had several brothers and sisters. When the mother passed away, he wanted to sell the home. However, the mothers will left the home solely to his older sister. You cannot sell what you do not legally own.

 

  • You Are Working With Another Realtor –One of the very first questions I will ask you is “are you currently working with a Realtor”. I support all of my fellow Realtors. I will never steal a client. If you are a buyer, I will have you sign an exclusive buyer’s agreement. This commits you to me and me to you. If you are a seller, the listing agreement will outline a contract between my agency and you the seller. I have heard stories of a buyer or seller that gets information from a realtor and then takes the information back to the Realtor they intended to work with all the time Being a Realtor is an expensive proposition. It costs us a pretty penny just to be in business. Don’t waste a Realtors time if you have no intention of working with them. Let them spend their time discovering other clients.

The Bottom Line:

TELL YOUR REALTOR EVERYTHING!

Err on the side of too much rather than not enough. This will make for a better working relationship.

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in NJ or would like a free no obligation consultaion, feel free to call me today 856-685-1677. There is not cost, no obligation and best of all....No pressure.

Have a great day

Make This YOUR Best Year Ever


Leander McClain, Burlington /Camden County, NJ Realtor & Real Estate Consultant, Keller Williams Realty, 1814 Route 70 E Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 856-685-1677 Direct

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Comments(7)

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Lee & Pamela St. Peter
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices YSU Realty: (919) 645-2522 - Raleigh, NC
Making Connections to Success in Real Estate

Great advice indeed Leander!  Funny how sometimes these issues (and others) seem to get overlooked...

Feb 23, 2010 01:35 AM
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Lender

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and sharing the information.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Feb 23, 2010 11:07 AM
Dawn A Fabiszak
Private Label Realty ( Denver metro area, Colorado - Aurora, CO
The Dawn of a New Real Estate Experience!

Leander,  Well said.  This is part of the reason why the home purchase does not go smoothly.  There are many things that can get corrected on credit if we know about them in advance.

Feb 23, 2010 12:27 PM
Leander McClain
North East, MD
Cecil & Harford County Realtor

Pam - It's  the simple things that cause the most problems...you know how it is :)

Lou - Your welcome my brother

Dawn - ditto.  Client, let me know what's going on with you.  Then maybe we can solve your problem

Have a great day guys

Leander

Feb 23, 2010 10:24 PM
Jennifer Fivelsdal
JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Red Hook, NY
Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Leander being honest with your Realtor will lead to a better transaction process because of the lack of late disclosure.

Feb 24, 2010 10:24 AM
C. Bartch
Newark, OH

Oh my gosh Leander how can you best help your client if they aren't honest with you? Those are pretty darn important disclosures you've posted.

Feb 26, 2010 12:17 AM
Leander McClain
North East, MD
Cecil & Harford County Realtor

@Cynthia - You are right.  It always amazes me that potential clients want to hide info. I tell folks right up front.....in order for us to work together, you have to like and trust me. If you dont....then may I suggest one of my associates.

@Jennifer - I could not have said it better myself

Mar 02, 2010 12:15 AM