Taking ISSUE with the Chronicle's view on San Francisco Realtors
A reader asks:Recently I read in the Chronicle that, "Agents are salespeople who can't get a job." If Realtors are held in such low esteem, why do I need one to buy or sell a home?
Our reply:
Ouch! We saw that article too and were surprised that the section of the paper which sells tons of ads to real estate agents would be so insulting to them. Kind of like biting the hand that feeds them, isn't it?
If being a Realtor is so easy and requires no brains or skills to do the job, then why does the National Association of Realtors (NAR) report that 86% of new agents fail during the first year? The drop out rate is even higher over 3 years.
From a seller's point of view, according to the National Association of Realtors, those who do not use a real estate agent receive 16% less for their property than those who are represented by a real estate professional.
There are so many things that you have to know in order to help your clients make a good decision. Having practiced real estate for over 30 years, we have had to be counselors, financial advisors; know architecture, building codes, disclosure issues, city politics, traffic patterns, zoning laws, construction codes, school districts, neighborhood characteristics, and then have resources available for all of these fields.
Buying a home is probably the largest purchase a person will ever make in his or her life so to not use a professional person who does this for a living seems like a very foolish decision. In San Francisco the value of property not only changes within a couple of blocks but it can be very different within the same building.
Another major factor in using an experienced agent is the value of negiotiation. We have been able to negiotiate terms for clients that can mean a savings of thousands of dollars realized either immediately or over the term of the ownership.
A good agent also advises a seller on strategies to make the property look the best which can produce a better sales price than other comparable properties.
Helping buyers and sellers reach their goals can be one of the most challenging and rewarding professions and is not easy---- just ask anyone who has tried to do this on their own!
- Mick Orton and Janis Stone
posted by SFResidence.com @ 9:56 AM
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