AIF Estate Court

As a new sales agent you will need to learn the ropes, so-to-speak. The particular office you sign on with will have certain procedures they follow for listing properties, sharing “floor” time and covering your operating expenses. Be sure and have a list of questions to ask the broker of the office you are interested in joining. Floor time is the most important. New agents typically are not given prime floor time. In other words, the hottest clients or leads. You will need to spend a good deal of time cold calling or otherwise building up your own listings as this is where you will get a percentage on sales even if you did not make the sale on the property yourself. If you were the original listing agent you are entitled to a percentage of the sale. Even the texas real estate school teaches and gives you great points in obtaining a license regarding this.

You will need a good vehicle in decent shape to transport clients to view properties. You will also being doing a good amount of driving around to properties yourself. The purpose being to check listing locations and to view them when you are doing a new listing. A sales agent needs to be familiar with each property they are showing to potential buyers. Bear in mind that the upkeep of your vehicle is your responsibility. Along with operating costs such as business cards, sales signs, advertising you place on your own that has been approved by your broker.

When selling a home, one of the most important decisions a homeowner makes is their initial asking price. Pricing real estate is part art, part science.

Real estate agents have training in the pricing of a home, and have access to MLS data that allow them to analyze comparable sales. Home sellers typically consult real estate agents on the price to set for their home.

There are several components - as well as pitfalls to avoid - in pricing a home. However, you should remember that getting your price right is completely feasible.

Several factors need to be taken into account including:

• Historical sales of comparable homes: Recent home sales in the area provide one of the best indicators of the value of a home. It’s important, however, to choose the right comparable properties in the analysis and to account for differences in home features. As previously mentioned, real estate agents have access to this type of information and can provide you with a comparative market analysis (or CMA).
• The seller’s appetite for risk: Home sellers face a similar set of choices in pricing their home. Price too high and the home may sit on the market too long, price too low and the home may sell for less than it’s worth. However, home sellers differ considerably in their appetite for risk and the speed at which they need to sell. Do you need to move into a new home quickly and are your mortgage payments high? Do you need to cash out as soon as possible for financial reasons? Or are you only going to sell once you get a strong offer on your property? These are questions you need to consider in deciding on a price.
• Local economic and demographic trends: What has happened in the local economy that may affect your sales price? Are unemployment percentages increasing, decreasing or flat? Has your neighborhood become a hot place to live because of schools, proximity to places of interest, etc.?
• Local real estate price trends: What are recent trends in home prices in your neighborhood and town? Comparable sales data should be analyzed – but price trends should be taken into account as well.

Not all home inspectors are the same and the quality of reports can vary from one inspector to the next. When hiring a home inspector in or around Charlotte, NC, here are some things to ask about:References: Can the inspector provide several references of past clients that he/she has worked for? If so, call these references and ask about the quality of the inspector’s work. Also, ask if there was anything the references wish the inspector had done differently.

Credentials: What qualifications does the inspector have? What background in construction, real estate and/or inspections does he or she have? And what training has the inspector received?

Availability: Most inspections need to be completed in a short amount of time. Will the inspector be available at the time stipulated in your agreement with the seller?

Sample report: Does the inspector have a sample of a report done for another customer to show you? If so, how thorough does it appear to be? Does the inspector cover all components of the house, or are there certain areas not covered in the inspection?

Special attributes: Ask the inspector for any factors that differentiate him/her from others in the market. For example, what will the inspector do to stand by his/her work if there are any problems down the road?