Our Sunday newspaper has articles and excerpts from the Wall Street Journal. One of those is an article on the 10 things a “blank” won’t tell you; fill in financial planner, resort, Disney, bank, etc. So I thought I’d let you in on the ten things your Hawaii Realtor® or Real Estate Agent won’t tell you. Follow us this week as we look at them in depth at http://kate.hawaiirealestateonline.com. Part One:
1.Since the advent of the Internet, as we commoners know it, the largest advantage a Realtor® has is information.
Past sold data, faster data on new listings, listing data by various criteria only partially available on mass web sites like Zillow and other data; but data is nothing without the market knowledge to turn it into information. Information takes market knowledge and experience.
How long has your agent been on island, how many transactions of a like kind have they done, how good are they at communicating that knowledge to you; so you become an informed consumer? Bottom line – you re hiring an agent to be your representative in probably the largest transaction in your life, you need to both respect and trust them. I love it when we become friends too, but that’s a bonus. Just remember that an Agent who’s been doing real estate for forty years may not be up on what is needed in today’s marketplace.
An Agent’s job is to serve you and your needs before all others; and yours is to listen to their advice. You should shop for an agent but don’t flit from one to another thinking you are going to get a better deal. Commit. This is what we do for a living and most of us are very dedicated to our profession – we’re not making this stuff up. And the facts are the facts, and don’t change from agent to agent; our expertise, tools, and experience are our only differentiation.
[Read ‘The Outliers’ about real estate and insurance – very revealing about the changes in the professions that came with the Internet.]
2.Real Estate Agents are not Realtors® but Realtors® are Real Estate Agents.
Real estate agents, salesperson or brokers, are licensed by the State of Hawaii to do real estate transactions within the State and must follow the State’s laws and regulations. Realtors® are real estate agents who have joined (and paid) the National Association of Realtors® and their local affiliate, who in turn own the area’s multiple listing service and all the data that goes with it. Agents who are not Realtors® do not have access to the data, nor do they have to follow the additional ethical rules of the Association, known as the “Code of Conduct”. Are you working with an experienced Realtor® or Realtor® Associate or just a salesperson?
To be continued......
Katherine “Kate” Braden is the Realtor®, Principal Broker and Partner/Owner of Hawaii Real Estate Online. She is a e-PRO CERTIFIED INTERNET EXPERT, ABR™ ACCREDITED BUYERS REPRESENTATIVE, SFR SHORT SALE & FORECLOSURE RESOURCE CERTIFIED, and a AHWD AT HOME WITH DIVERSITY DESIGNEE. Our Brokerage is an independent Real Estate company built by experienced agents for experienced agents focusing on technology to enhance a spectrum of full service to our clients coming to or in Hawaii. Because we are independent, we can provide flexible plans without having to clear our decisions with a mainland franchise or owners.
We provide residential listing and buyers’ representation as well as property management services to maximize equity. We believe in listening to our clients, educating and supporting their informed decisions, and helping them build their equity and meet all their real estate needs.
Check out properties in Kailua, Kaneohe, Lanikai, Pearl City, Aiea, Ewa Beach, Kapolei, Haleiwa, Kahuku, Honolulu, Hawaii Kai, Diamond Head, Waikiki, and all the neighbor islands at http://kate.hawaiirealestateonline.com.
Check out information on Oahu, Hawaii’s neighborhoods at http://oahuhawaiirealestateonline.com/neighborhoods.shtml
Learn about the Buying process in Hawaii at http://oahuhawaiirealestateonline.com/Buyers-process/Home-Buying-Process.html
And feel free to email Kate with any questions at mailto:kate@hreomail.com?subject=Inquiry on RE from 10 need to know blog
Comments(0)