What does a Realtor do for me? Good Question…

I have been in Real Estate for just under 15 years, which makes me a veteran in some regard, and still to this day I feel a need to answer this question over and over again to guide my clients. The way our business has been disrupted over the last decade is amazing creating a downgrade in some of our services but also increasing the need for an agent in others. It has also increased the need to hire agents that know what they are doing and have the ability to push for the client not the close. I will discuss a couple of the things we as Realtors do below and hopefully it will encourage agents to focus on those skill sets and customers to understand what services we do provide that have value to their transaction.
- Market knowledge — I love it when a property owner asks me about my market niche as I can rattle off most recent transactions and provide on the fly pricing with confidence. Many agents do not study a particular market and are just the “everything” realtor and this can be dangerous. Great agents study markets and spend time staying up to date on how much properties are worth and the current activity but do not rely on only our multiple listing market analysis alone. They can be specific to your property and your needs.
- Strategic partners — One of the great values an agent can bring you is a referral partner that they have total confidence in to get your transaction completed. Great agents have a great attorney that handles Real Estate well, Inspectors that make time for them, Lenders that close sales and keep them moving along and contractors to make repairs and upgrades at a phone call. Great agents have these contacts and have already vetted them for consistency, liability and skillset. This has become more and more important through the years in Real Estate
- Not pushy — I have needed a sale before (many times) but as a great agent we have to put the customer first. Yes at some point clients need to make a decision or stop wasting time but that is no reason to push them into buying something they do not want or feel is the best choice. I have watched agents coerce their buyers into a house with scare tactics of losing the last house or sellers having to take an offer because they probably won’t get better. Being pushy for our own benefit is not good business and it’s important to use great agents that agree with you on this. Look at agents past 6 months business and ask them what they have pending before you decide to hire them to represent you. It may surprise you how the great from the bad naturally make it clear who is the best choice.
Many great agents have built their business on hard work and using a high skill set to get ahead. Buying and selling real estate can be long, hard and stressful but taking the time to figure out where the value is needed for you is most important. Take a bit of time to think about what you are looking for in an agent and then make the decision. I am a big fan of interviewing and weighing options when it comes to a Realtor as choosing the wrong Realtor to help can make the over all experience less then enjoyable. Good luck

Curt has been in the Indianapolis Real Estate business for over 10 years and spent his first years learning all aspects of commercial management and brokerage. He has had great success in managing existing commercial projects and new retail and office developments. Curt specializes in building owner representation and purchases in the Westfield Indiana market as well throughout the Indianapolis Metro area. Curt is passionate about growing the local Westfield community and in his free time volunteers with Westfield Youth Assistance and raising 2 children with his wife Jennifer.