1. REAL ESTATE
R E A L E S T A T E A G E N T S & E V E R Y T H I N G I N
B E T W E E N …
Kelsey Bollenbach
December 2014

2. REAL ESTATE AGENTS: DO YOU
REALLY NEED A REAL ESTATE
AGENT?
 Nobody Really Needs A Real
Estate Agent
 But, Approximately 93% Of
Home Sales Involve An Agent

3. WHY WOULD YOU
WANT TO HIRE A
REAL ESTATE
AGENT?

4. ANSWER:
“WHEN I BUY A HOUSE, I WOULD WANT TO HIRE
A REAL ESTATE AGENT BECAUSE I KNOW
NOTHING ABOUT THE HOUSING MARKET. FROM
WHAT I KNOW ABOUT REAL ESTATE AGENTS, IS
THAT THEY HELP YOU LOOK, FINANCE, BID ON
AND BUY A NEW HOUSE.”
CHANTEL VILLALOBOS, 24
MARTINEZ, CA
BUYER/RENTER

5. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN
A REAL ESTATE AGENT?
HOW WOULD YOU CHOOSE
AN AGENT TO USE?

6. ANSWER:
“WHEN LOOKING FOR A REAL ESTATE AGENT, I
LOOK FOR SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS WHAT
I WANT AND WHAT I CAN AFFORD. I DON’T
WANT A REAL ESTATE AGENT WHO IS NOT
GOING TO COMPLY WITH WHAT I WANT/ NEED. I
WANT SOMEONE WHO WILL ANSWER MY
QUESTIONS AND REMIND ME THAT THEY ARE
THERE TO HELP ME BECAUSE BUYING AND/OR
SELLING A HOUSE IS STRESSFUL.”
WESLEY VAN TONDER, 23
PLEASANT HILL, CA
BUYER/ RENTER

7. SERVICES TO EXPECT TO GET FROM AN AGENT THAT YOU
WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO GET ON YOUR OWN:
 Get Comparable Sales
 Receive Sales Data From
MLS Based On Map
Searches
 Obtain A Copy Of Home
Historical Documents &
Paperwork
 Get A Suggested Selling
Price
 Get Any Market Data Or
Info
 Listing Your Home On
MLS
 Doing Escrow Procedures

8. BENEFITS OF HIRING A FULL SERVICE AGENT:
 Avoidance Of A Lot Of Paperwork
 The Saving Of A Lot Of Time & Energy
 Not Having To Coordinate Repair & Upgrading Efforts
On Your Own
 Having An Expert In Your Local Real Estate Market On
Your Side

9. DISADVANTAGES OF HIRING A REAL ESTATE AGENT:
 Having To Pay
Commission
 Being One Of Just Many
Clients
 Having At Least One
Middle Man
 Being At The Mercy Of
Someone Else’s
Timeline

10. WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO
SELL YOUR HOME?
 I S I T A S E L L E R S M A R K E T ?
 I S I T A B U Y E R S M A R K E T ?
 W H A T I S T H E A V E R A G E S E L L I N G P R I C E
I N Y O U R N E I G H B O R H O O D ?
 W H A T A R E Y O U L O O K I N G T O G E T O U T O F
Y O U R H O M E ?
 D O Y O U W A N T T O S E L L Y O U R H O M E O N
Y O U R O W N O R H I R E A S E L L I N G A G E N T ?
 A R E Y O U G O I N G T O H I R E A H O M E
S T A G E R T O S T A G E Y O U R H O M E ?
 A R E Y O U R E A D Y T O S E L L Y O U R H O M E
A N D M O V E ?

11. THE REAL ESTATE MARKET
 THE REAL ESTATE MARKET HAS BEEN VERY ON AND
OFF
 AN ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BACK IN AUGUST AND
STATED:
 “ACCORDING TO A JUST-RELEASED REPORT FROM
THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, THE
MEDIAN PRICE FOR A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME IN THE
BAY AREA DROPPED TO $760,430 IN JULY, DOWN 1.4
PERCENT FROM JUNE. MONTH-OVER-MONTH
APPRECIATION ACROSS THE REGION REACHED A 2014
HIGH OF 7.3 PERCENT IN MARCH AND HAS SINCE BEEN
DECLINING.”**
* * H T T P : / / B L O G . P A C U N I O N . C O M / B A Y - A R E A - H O M E -
P R I C E S - T A K E - M I D S U M M E R - D I P /

12. BAY AREA SALES & MEDIAN SALES PRICE FROM OCTOBER 2014

13. 5 MAJOR SIGNS YOU HAVE A GOOD REAL
ESTATE AGENT
1.
THEY LISTEN
 Good Listening Is A Two-Part Process
 First, Gather The Right Information
 Second, Put That Information To Good Use
 Clients Love Being Heard
 When You Remind Your Clients That You Remember
Their Unique Situation, They’ll Remember You

14. 2.
YOU STAY INFORMED
 Any Field Is Dominated By Those Who
Stay Informed.
 The Best Agents Are Familiar With Every
Property, Every Sale, And Every Market
Trend

15. 3.
YOU KEEP IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH YOUR
CLIENTS
 Most Clients Want Constant Updates.
 Sellers Want To Know Every Comment Made
At An Open House
 Buyers Want To Know Every Tidbit Gathered
From A Conversation With A Seller’s Agent
 Giving Your Clients What They Crave:
INFORMATION!

16. 4.
YOUR NOT AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING NEW
 Don’t Be Hesitant To Learn A New Skill
 Maybe You’re The Only Agent Making
Use Of A New Technology Or Skill
 Try Out A New Social Media Platform
 Embrace A New Technological Device.

17. 5.
YOUR AWARE OF ANY FINANCIAL ISSUES
 Mortgage Complications Can Ruin A
Potential Sale
 Real Estate Agents Must Be Aware Of
Lending Guidelines
 The Best Agents Understand That VA
Loans Can’t Be Used On Fixer-Uppers, &
That Conventional Loans May Be
Unavailable To Those With Substandard
Credit
 Awareness Of These Issues Saves Time &
Heartache For Both Agents & Clients

18. WHY DO AGENTS
HAVE TO WORK
UNDER A BROKER?

19. AGENTS CAN ONLY SELL REAL ESTATE UNDER THE
SUPERVISION OF A BROKER AND MUST COLLECT
THE COMMISSION FROM THE SPONSORING BROKER
THE BROKER IS LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE ACTIONS OF THE AGENT
BROKERS ARE LICENSED BY THE
STATE TO COLLECT FEES AND
OVERSEE NEGOTIATIONS FOR A
PURCHASE

20. NEXT TIME YOU ARE
THINKING ABOUT BUYING A NEW HOME
OR THINKING ABOUT SELLING YOUR
HOME, ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

21. 1. DO I NEED TO HIRE A REAL ESTATE AGENT?
2. IS IT THE RIGHT TIME TO SELL MY HOME?
3. IS IT THE RIGHT TIME TO BUY A NEW HOME?
4. DO I WANT TO UPSIZE OR DOWNSIZE?
5. WHERE AM I LOOKING TO BUY A NEW HOME?
6. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO GET MY HOME READY TO SELL?
7. DO I NEED A REAL ESTATE AGENT TO HELP STAGE MY HOME?
8. WHAT CAN I AFFORD?

22. CONCLUSIO
N
NOBODY NEEDS TO HIRE A REAL ESTATE AGENT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IT DOES MAKE THE
CLIENTS LIFE EASIER AND A LITTLE BIT MORE
STRESS FREE IF YOU HIRE A REAL ESTATE
AGENT TO HELP YOU EITHER BUY OR SELL A
HOME. AGENTS HELP TAKE THE BURDEN OF
PAPERWORK AND DEALING WITH THE TITLE
COMPANIES AND ETC, AND ESSENTIALLY HELP
MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER IN THE BUYING OR
SELLING PROCESS.