Apparently change is in the air…  FHa is changing their requirements making it a bit harder to qualify, also of note is the First Time Buyer Tax Credit is due to expire in April and appears that will not be an extension.  This and other factors is making the market quite active.

 

The market is changing on a daily basis, and the days of I’m the biggest company in town are over.  Does it really matters who is number 1, 2 or 3?  As far as we are concerned no!!!!

Things to consider when looking to hire a real estate professional:

1) Are they full time?

2) How the agent’s company handles a sale when both the buyer’s agent and the listing agent are from the same company (an in-house sale) - Are there incentives to the listing agent if the transaction is an in-house sale?

3) Do they provide a good virtual tour of the property, regardless of the price of the house?

4) Are they affiliated with mortgage or insurance companies? Are there any incentives for the agents to use these companies?

5) How do they syndicate their listings - Is your home found on multiple websites?

These are some of the questions you as a consumer should be asking.  Being the largest company in the area actually might work to your disadvantage, since they have so many houses to sell, you as a client might fall through the cracks.  Also as a Broker owner I have a major issue with in-house sales incentives.  To us it does not matter who sells the house we list.  We have one, and only one thing in mind - getting the best deal for our clients.

As marketing is concerned, the print media does not sell properties anymore. That is a thing of the past. You might want to consider how innovative is the company you are trusting with the biggest investment you will ever make.

Oh, and there is the point of “relocation”. In reality no one controls the buyer.  Buyers these days turn to the Internet first before they even get on the plane to visit our area, so you want to make sure that buyer gets the best first impression about your home. That is done with quality photos, virtual tours, fact sheets on-line, etc.  The way to catch that “relocating buyer” is quite simple - exposure of your home to the most eyeballs.  Ask the question: Does this real estate company syndicate their listings? If the answer is “yes” ask them to provide you with a list of websites.

We are a consumer centric company, always pushing the envelope to get the best value for our clients, where the owner is accessible to all our firm’s clients.

Is Bigger Best???

Something to think about…..

The market continues a slow but steady recovery, the activity has picked up substantially in the last month, as allways feel free to contact us for a better understanding of the market:

As expected the market continues to recuperate, even though is a slow process we are moving forward:

Also you can download the PDF version of the “Capital Region Monthly Indicators”
As always make sure you contact us for the more in-depht local market reports.
Happy Holidays and we are looking forward to a very active Real Estate Market