A Peak Behind the Bend Real Estate Curtain

3 things you didn’t know…

1.    Real Estate professionals are NOT comfortable with quickly elevating home prices. It can seem very logical that people that are paid according to the sale price of a home, want that price to go up and up. However, what you may not know if you are not in a commission-based industry is that we crave some consistency, just like the rest of the workforce, and rapid appreciation is anything but consistent. Believe it or not, Realtors want a healthy market. A healthy market is defined as one with more neutral buyer demand and seller inventory, longer sales timelines, and slower appreciation. Notice I said Real Estate “professionals” at the beginning of this. Part-timers want rapidly increasing commissions without having to do much. Those of us in it for the long haul, want some kind of consistency and more predictable appreciation patterns.

2.      Experts in Real Estate from time-to-time struggle with pricing homes. I say that, not to point out the obvious, but that it can be hard, and we are not perfect – those are givens. We want to make sure we price every home we list as accurately as we can for all the ins and outs of the home and property. This means finding that perfect balance between not leaving money on the table, and not having it sit on the market for “too long” and risk an even lower eventual sales price than you should receive because the days on market is a strong factor in buyer’s willingness to offer significantly lower offers. Experts in our field want to get it right and we spend hours and sometimes days researching, discussing, and evaluating to get it right – because we know what it means to you, not in the sense of being greedy about every last cent, but our efforts have real bottom-line implications and that can mean big things for individuals and families, especially in our current economy.

3.            Those practicing Real Estate full-time want to work hard. Realtors want to be used, we want to share our expertise, and we want to go to work for you and earn our paycheck. If you are lucky enough to come across a Full-Time, Expert Real Estate professional – just like finding that perfect plumber or the hardworking handyman – hold onto him or her. They are worth their weight in gold and will do everything they can to help you be as successful as possible with your Real Estate goals – whether that is retirement, investing, or just dealing with what is most likely the largest series of investments you will make in your life. We want to earn your business and your trust now and throughout your life. 

So, what I would suggest, two must dos when looking for an agent.

Ask about their history…

• Tell me about a recent good experience in a deal
• Tell me about a recent bad experience in a deal (we all have them)

Ask about their past clients…

• What would your previous clients tell me about you as an agent
• What is a piece of recent feedback you have received from a client

For a peak into what some of your Central Oregon neighbors are saying about some of the top Realtors in Bend – Click Here