Kingsland, Georgia Homes For Sale - Overview
There is so much you can learn about real estate to create the best scenario for your Kingsland Home Purchase. Much of it comes from experience and can only be learned through countless home purchase transactions. Since you are probably not researching this site as a veteran Realtor you are left with three basic options.
Kingsland Home Buying Option 1: Get a real estate license and spend the next five years helping Kingsland, Georgia residents in their home buying endeavors.
Kingsland Home Buying Option 2: Use the experience of a real estate professional to ensure you get the advantages of their professional expertise.
Kingsland Home Buying Option 3: Depend on luck and hope it works out...many people think they are using the sensibility of Option 2, but are really depending on luck. Trust me - I will explain this below.
After reading how people fall into Option 3 you will learn how to evaluate an agent's commitment to service and integrity simply by reviewing their website and sending one email. Through a simple review of their pages, especially their Multiple Listing Service (MLS) display page, and one simple email, you can determine the level of quality and care you will receive from your Kingsland, Georgia agent.
Kingsland, Georgia Homes For Sale - Which Option Is Right For You?
Although you can excercise your right to buy a home using Option 1 it may not be in your best interest to invest your time and energy this way. By the time you go through the process of completing the real estate course, passing the test, and paying for your license, you will have spent significant time, energy and money without the returns you hoped for. If option 1 is the best option for you, please feel free to contact me and I will guide you through the education and license processes. In addition, I will be happy to interview you as a potential agent working in my office. We are always on the lookout for quality people that want to serve in our real estate profession.
Unfortunately most people looking for a Kingsland home use Option 3 and don't realize it. Home buyers have a tendency to drive around neighborhoods, find a home they like, then call the agent on the sign? They believe they are excercising Option 2 (using a professional real estate agent), but they are actually depending on luck. The buyer falls in love with the home - not the real estate agent! They feel lucky to have found this great home and they use the agent "by default" because that is the person that answered the phone. Unfortunately for this buyer, the agent who has the sign in the yard actually works for the SELLER and is contractually obligated to get the highest price for the SELLER. Eventually these buyers wonder why they paid too much, did not get any repairs done by the seller, and feel their agent was not looking out for them. The simple truth is - their agent was legally looking out for the SELLER. In the end they were not lucky and even though there was an agent involved, the agent was working for the SELLER.
How do you overcome falling into this trap and ensure you are working with a real estate agent that has your interests at heart? How do you find a Georgia Home For Sale, use a real estate agent, and know you are getting their best efforts?
Screen real estate agents through their website, test their responsiveness, and if necessary interview...
Buying a Kingsland, Georgia Home - Using Agent Websites to Screen Committment
The first thing to understand is when individual agents build a website they are spending marketing dollars on design and monthly website hosting. This ranges from $25 to $125 per month to maintain the site. Unfortunately many agents have good intentions but do not properly budget marketing dollars to create a site, maintain the monthly hosting fees, and then build a quality display of the MLS information. They see their commissions earned as their income and often consume almost all of it for personal purchases.
Of the money they spend on marketing, the website is often the focus of attention with the monthly hosting getting 100% of the budget. They do not consider design and MLS display important enough to invest marketing dollars so these areas go untouched. As a rough estimate there are 250 agents in the Camden County area (Kingsland, St. Marys, and Woodbine) and approximately 10 of those agents go the extra mile, spend extra money, and create a quality site compete with a decent MLS display on their site.
Reviewing the website, reading the agent's philosophy, and critiqueing their web presentation and design is one of the easiest ways to screen a real estate agent. If they can not find the discipline and invest the financial resources to provide their clients (and prospective clients) with the proper real estate tools, they are probably not approaching real estate with a long-term business approach.
Make sure you review their MLS page (may be titled all area listings, all homes for sale, etc.). If the pictures are grainy, have minimal information, no creative presentation of the pictures, or seem to be "on the cheap" then the agent probably kept investment to a minimum. This review of their site and MLS display reveals their commitment to their clients. Poor presentation = No investment = No Commitment.
The second item you can use to screen an agent is send them an email. I prefer the email method because it requires them to call or email you back. If you simply call them they may answer the phone which requires no return phone call or email. You are testing their responsiveness so you want a form of communication that requires them to follow-up with you.
When you send them an email let them know your contact information (name, phone number, and email address) and let them know you are thinking of buying a house. Since real estate agents are in the business of helping people buy and sell houses you should expect a fast response. Make your initial contact on a weekday so you are relatively confident they are in the office. After you make your contact track how fast they respond. You will be surprised how many agents do NOT contact you in a timely manner and sometimes they will fail to contact you at all. When you receive slow (or no) response it should be a red flag indicating how you will be treated in the midst of a contract negotiation.
Combine these two screening items and you will find an agent that cares enough about their own business to reinvest money in their long-term success and the discipline to respond to you when you email. These are two qualities that will almost always be characteristics of a high quality, hard working, intelligent agent. High impact performers represent about 10-20% of any profession. That's surely a major reason why a mere 20% of home buyers would use the same agent a second time. That 20% of home buyers used the high performers.
By the end of your screening and discover an agent ranking high in these two elements you are probably impressed enough to communicate with them. At this point it is worth calling them or stopping by their office and speaking with them. Use this initial conversation (it may be on the phone if they call you back vice email you) as an opportunity to interview your potential agent. Have four or five questions lined-up to ask them. Simple questions like how long they have been in real estate, why do they like real estate as a profession, what are their goals as they assist you in your home purchase, etc. My favorite question is "Mr./Ms. Real Estate Agent, what are your core values?" Most agents will not know what core values are, nevermind actually knowing how to answer the question.
These few questions will help create insight into their motivation and willingness to help you over the long run - not just to get your money and run. Do not take this page too lightly. It could be the difference between a quality home buying experience or just hoping for good luck! |