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Has the Real Estate Market in Sunset West, Livermore "Gone Mad"?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Sunset West Realty BRE# 01181874

Over the 30 days plus I've spoken to more frustrated Buyer's and estatic Sellers then in the almost 20 years previous. Has the real estate market gone mad?

With Buyer's getting beat'in out on any home that is clean and ready to move into. Of course as with all transitional markets there are some Agents struggling to figure out whats's happening and then there're the minority of Agents that pay attention to the market staistics and can read the signs in the market like Jabul Sackett in a Louis L'Amour novel can read a game trail.

The difference is, experience and training. I talked to a prospective Seller yesterday and he wanted to know "what I do to Sell homes"? A fair question for a Seller to ask a Broker he or she is considering hiring to list and sell there home.

Since a pricing strategy based on a comprehensive knowledge of the market far out weighs having a pretty color flyer on the dinning room table, a better question would be; " How many homes are on the market with regard to Sunset Homes for sale? What is driving the market for the last 90 days and where do you think it's going in the next 30 days in Sunset West? How does that effect your thinking with regard to pricing strategy?

The answers to these questions, if based mostly on hard data mixed with a great understanding, as a result of study, will tell you if this Agent is experienced enough in Sunset West. If this Agent has now passed the first qualification, experience in Sunet West, you can move forward into the rest of the criteria I believe should be used for hiring an Agent to help you with any type of real estate transaction. Ready?

Here it is: Six Reasons to Hire an Agent

Honesty:  Any agent/consultant you hire must be above reproach. This is self explanatory.

Trust: You have to be able to trust that what he or she tells you is true and complete and that they will look after your best interest.

Competence: The Agent Consultant you hire has a huge responsibility to perform their duty with absolute skill and care.

Reputation: Reputation, not only with Clients, but with other people in the real estate community. Transactions fail or succeed everyday because of reputation.

Communication: Not just communication, but effective communication with clients but with the myriads of people involved in your transaction.

Interest: Your interests above all, always.

A final note. The question sometimes asked in an intitial interveiw, sometimes even over the phone before meeting is even set is "how much comission do you charge"? There's something scary about this question, other than, the Clients focus is in the wrong place.

Working out a WIN-WIN for a Seller and Broker is sometimes appropriate. There have been times in my career where the right thing to do is to to charge no commission at all. You can imagine the circumstances.

A seller asking this question is cause for some Agents to panic and give up their hard earned money simply because you asked. What scares me about that, is if they give up their money so easily, how are they going to gaurd your equity. You are hiring somebody to negotiate on your behalf. That takes more than you sending them back with a counter offer. Remember, under Competence, is absolute skill and care.

 



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Please contact me if you have any other questions. 925-785-2129\greglanet@gmail.com

Wishing you all the best,

Greg Lanet