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When The Agent Becomes the Consumer...Very Enlightening!

By Mary Pope-Handy

Real Estate Agent with Christie's International Real Estate Sereno 01153805

August 21, 2008 11:01 AM

Isn't it interesting when the shoe is on the other foot?

Right now, I'm just starting to look at real estate in the Westchester area of Los Angeles, California. Why? Because our son, Brian, is an entering freshman at Loyola Marymount University. He'll live on campus the first year, or maybe first couple of years, and after that he may be "off campus".

Westchester is a great area of L.A. In fact, I lived there, directly across from the then main entrance of LMU in 1981-1982, when I taught at St. Bernard's High School in nearby Playa del Rey. It was my first year out of college and I could not wait to get to grad school, so I didn't linger long, but I did enjoy my time there and can attest to the fact that west L.A. and the coastal area near Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey, and Venice Beach is generally a great place to live.

So with our son commencing his studies there, I'm thinking, naturally, about real estate and whether or not we should consider buying a condo in a year or two.

And I'm finding that it's not all that easy to search by map in areas close to LMU.

When I input Westchester into Google, often I end up somewhere on the east coast. Not helpful. "LA" often lands me in Louisiana. Finally, I try neighboring Playa del Rey, only to realize I'm seeing places in New Mexico or Arizona.

What I really want, more than anything, is a "search by map" tool. Something like what I have on my website for clients, prospects, and lookie-lous like myself: https://idx.diversesolutions.com/search/154647/40 .

I googled for Realtors via the main website and via blogs, and mostly came up with search by parameters (rather than search by map).

I found myself feeling very frustrated.

What I really, really want to know is this: are there condos within a couple of miles of the school? If so, what do they cost?

Like many consumers, I don't want to waste anyone's time. I'm just doing a preliminary scan. And I'm realizing it's not so easy to find the info I want.

It makes me wonder: how frustrated are OUR potential clients, when they know what they want but can't easily find it online?

I may rework my sites for parents of college kids at Santa Clara University, San Jose State and Stanford.

After all, now I know how it feels!

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Anonymous

Mary the problem you are having is because of the new IDX rules for the MLS that governs the area, many of the mapping softwares dont work. Might want to contact an agent locally and get a MLS guest password that will make your search easier. If you need a referral I have plenty of qualified agents farming westchester, and up and coming and pretty pricey neighborhood these days.

Good luck with your search

Aug 21, 2008 11:24 AM

James Engel

Keller Williams Realty Beverly Hills - Beverly Hills, CA

KW Beverly Hills

I dont know how I managed that but this is James Engel with Keller Williams Beverly Hills that left the IDX rules comment

Aug 21, 2008 11:27 AM

Deborah Ryman

Santa Cruz, CA

M.A. Feng Shui Services, Santa Cruz County

You probably figured this out by now, but I put "westchester los angeles" into google and got a ton of local listings, including the Chamber of Commerce. Have you tried Localism for Los Angeles County?

Aug 21, 2008 11:52 AM

Jim Lee, REALTOR, CRS, ABR

RE/MAX Shoreline - Portsmouth, NH

Buying or Selling? Ann & Jim are the local experts

Mary, last year I was both a seller and a buyer. We finally found a great home after around 3 months of looking and sold our house the first week it was on the market.

I did everything to the house we sold I tell my sellers to do and it worked; sold for full price.

It does give you a different perspective when you put those buyer and seller shoes on; every Realtor should try it periodically.

Aug 21, 2008 12:43 PM

Judy Peterson

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox&Roach Realtors - Tredyffrin, PA

"Superb Service, Superb Results"

Mary - Just think of all the great new blogging material you'll have from first hand experience :-) Good luck!

Aug 21, 2008 01:26 PM

Ravinder Pilson

Intero Real Estate Services - Santa Clarita, CA

Intero Real Estate in Santa Clarita, CA

Good luck, Mary! Have you tried finding a Realtor in that area who may have a search engine that would also allow you to see schools? Maybe you can make the other agent understand that you are an agent and are just wanting to look, and maybe offer him a referal fee for helping you (or figure out another way to compensate the agent if/when you're ready).
Another idea...if you look through the Thomas Guide and figure out the exact plot numbers you'd like to search (the area around the school), you can normally enter those in on a search, at least on the agent end of the search engine.

Aug 21, 2008 01:51 PM

Lane Bailey

Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA

Realtor & Car Guy

I have a couple of searches that I run... and my wife has the search that she runs. It is enlightening. I also try to have friends that love to rip on me (say it ain't so) try to break my search. All of that provides me wit ha little better understanding of what people are going through.

Now I just need to beat the MLSs into submission so that they format the data the way I want.

Aug 21, 2008 02:34 PM

Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Mary...All I know is one of my sons went to Stanford and I wouldn't want to be in the market for a place in Palo Alto right now even with the slower market.

Good luck, seems like you found plenty of helpful information.

Kate

Aug 21, 2008 03:00 PM

Mary Pope-Handy

Christie's International Real Estate Sereno - Los Gatos, CA

CRS, CIPS, ABR, SRES, Silicon Valley

Thanks all!

Randy - amen. Nothing like experience.

Miriam - I think that the search words are part of the issue. I kept trying to search "by map" and ended up on mapping sites instead of real estate integrated with map sites.

Missy - a great reminder to ME. I can be terrible about calling...it's an area where I really need to improve!

Elizabeth - I may never buy - just soo premature that I truly do not want to boter a soul.

AJ - 'zactly

James - thank you, that is enlightening!

Deborah - I did that too but many were listings for Westchester County in NY or NY, and nothing had the mapping system or something like it that I wanted. Or if so, I could not find it on the first couple of pages of Google.

Jim - nothing like following your own great advice! I will look at my marketing a little differently after this experience. (And congrats to you on a great sale and purchase!)

Judy - you are right!

Ravinder - thanks, but I don't want to engage anyone at this low level stage...

Lane - LOL while you're at it, beat my MLS too... It's not what I want, but it's all we have.

Kate - that is the high rent district for sure!

Scott from Wolfnet's Maptracks (the system that I use and love) sent me a link to a local provider here in the Westchester part of Los Angeles. In case you're wondering what it looks like, here you go:
http://www.mlsfinder.com/ca_mrmls/robertwhitney1/

Now I can select the area just north of the Los Angeles airport (LAX) and see what things cost just for ballpark purposes.

Thanks all again.

Aug 21, 2008 04:00 PM

Ray Saenz

Exit Realty Laredo - Laredo, TX

Homes for Sale in Laredo, TX - Texas, Realtor

Mary,
That's a good point as a realtor we have some other perspectives to see all these things and you expect more from these professionals :)
Nice to see you again, I missed you
Ray Saenz

Aug 21, 2008 04:04 PM

Jeff Dowler, CRS

eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA

The Southern California Relocation Dude

Mary - I think you have raised a good point here, and one I have heard from other agent friends who are house hunting (and I also experienced it when I was looking to move to CA). These sorts of experiences are useful for us to better help out clients figure out how to nagivate the Internet, but also to make sure that we can provide the best searching experience for them. I imagine you will find even more to be frustrated about when you actually get into a transaction.

Jeff

Aug 21, 2008 04:36 PM

Gary Bolen

McCall Realty - South Lake Tahoe, CA

CRS - Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information

we're representing an agent right now, and for the life of us we question how some can have the same credentials. the bar for entry in our profession, a very low one it so often appears, needs to become much higher.

Aug 21, 2008 04:52 PM

Michael Sahlman

www.HomesForVIPs.com - Keller Williams Realty - Miami Beach, FL

e-PRO - Miami Beach Florida Luxury Homes

Hi Mary, Love the mapping software for websites. Definitely think it is the way many searches will go if people have the choice.

Aug 21, 2008 11:03 PM

Marcia Kramarz

Re/Max Executive Realty - Medway, MA

CDPE,LMC,CBR

It's amazing, isn't it - to walk down the same road as our clients - Puts a totally different spin on things... I sold my son his first home last October and I'll never forget how the experience changed how I work - Far more empathetic to clients now!~

Aug 21, 2008 11:59 PM

Kathy Clulow

Uxbridge, ON

Trusted For Experience - Respected For Results

Mary - experience can be a great teacher ... sometimes we have to walk a mile in the other persons shoes to really understand what it is they are trying to accomplish.

Aug 22, 2008 01:07 AM

Russ Ravary ~ Metro Detroit Realtor call (248) 310-6239

Real Estate One - Commerce, MI

Michigan homes for sale ~ yesmyrealtor@gmail.com

It is funny to read that some agents never call. I wonder how many never call.

Aug 22, 2008 03:21 AM

Mary Pope-Handy

Christie's International Real Estate Sereno - Los Gatos, CA

CRS, CIPS, ABR, SRES, Silicon Valley

Ray - Thanks Ray. Personal, family life has keep me a little too busy for AR 'til recently. It's nice to be back.

Jeff - not sure we'll buy a place but it's interesting to look. (Just moved him to the dorm yesterday - incoming freshman.)

Gary - is it harder to work with the agent as principal, or easier? (I have often thought that the best clients might be the former agents who tried their hand at RE but failled)

Michael - it's infinitely easier to get a quick neighborhood view - I didn't realize how dependent I was on it til now!

Marcia - I bet! Plus with your kids (and parents) you are so protective.

Kathy -true

Russ - everyone's got habits to improve, and that is one of mine - calling folks who register on my site. There are just a thousand things I'd rather do. When I hire a licensed assistant, I'll farm that task out so it gets done.

Aug 24, 2008 03:53 AM

Jeff McLaughlin ~ Silicon Valley Realtor

Alain Pinel Realtors ~ Los Gatos Ca - Los Gatos, CA

Hi Mary. thanks for another informative post. I'm researching different types of map mls systems and one you're using appears to be one of the best. It's helpful to have the perspective of an 'out of towner' for most everything we do...not so easy to put on that cap sometimes!

Aug 24, 2008 02:26 PM

Mary Pope-Handy

Christie's International Real Estate Sereno - Los Gatos, CA

CRS, CIPS, ABR, SRES, Silicon Valley

Jeff - I do think that the Wolfnet Maptracks is the best program around for the MLS and Mapping. I was using it last fall before I moved to KW and really like it a lot. KW has an arrangement with Maptracks so that it's amazingly cheap, but even if you don't get it at the KW rate, it's worth every penny in my opinion.

Aug 24, 2008 02:56 PM

Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD

Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Mary, I have a feeling that this post will help you find the real estate you are looking for in in the LA area
This mapping http://www.mlsfinder.com/ca_reinfolink/marypopehandy/you have is wonderful and I want it!

Aug 28, 2008 09:01 AM