Realtors
Interview Transcript
What makes a professional Realtor?
Jason Pacheco
I think a professional realtor is someone that’s also dresses professionally, takes the job serious, communicates well, over communicates and ultimately makes sure the client’s happy and gets the best deal possible
Why shouldn’t I go with a family friend?
Jason Pacheco
So shopping with a friend to buy a house sounds fun, I’ll admit it, I would love to shop for a house with my friend right. I think it’s important that use a professional who does this job full-time who does at least 20 transactions per year. It makes a difference because when you’re in real estate all the time you have your finger on the pulse on the market and also negotiating strategies. So, while shopping with a friend sounds fun. It could ultimately cost you thousands of dollars with the lack of negotiating skills and if the unexperienced agent does something wrong.
What about experience?
Jason Pacheco
So having experience as a real estate agent is important. An experienced agent has been involved with tons of transactions, dealt with a bunch of different situations, whether you’re selling something in order to buy something that’s two transactions happening in one day, it gets complicated. So you need someone with experience that can help you organize the timeline so everything happens as smooth as possible.
How far in advance should you connect with your realtor?
Jason Pacheco
It’s never too early, really the first step is getting preapproved with a mortgage lender. So, when you reach out, it gives you enough time to get your ducks in order your paperwork in order. It’s better to reach out too soon than too late. If you reach out too late, you find a house on the weekend, you want to make an offer, you’re not preapproved yet, you don’t have your paperwork in order and you might lose the home. So, reach out as early as possible maybe six months a year would be great.
How should a professional realtor communicate with their clients?
Jason Pacheco
Yea so, one of the biggest concerns and things I hear as a real estate agent is there’s just lack of communication in the field. I think it’s so important to overcommunicate. The beginning stages and we’re shopping for homes, placing offers, we’re talking a lot but once you get that offer accepted and all that’s done there’s really no point for us to talk for about three weeks and I think that’s where a lot of real estate agents lose out with their clients. They just don’t follow up, touch base or give any updates throughout the transaction. I think it’s so important to update your client at least once or twice a week and if you have no updates check in, say hello, everything‘s going well, I have no updates for you, but I just wanted to check in and see if you have any questions.
Getting a mortgage is one of the biggest factors in buying a home and a lot of people think you need 20% down in order to buy a house which is a lot of money. That’s not the case, you can buy a home with as little as 3 ½ % down and I’ve actually had clients with all the first time homebuyer programs out there get a check at the closing table and get money and receive the keys with no money down so I think that’s something it’s really important and worth talking about and mentioning here is if you’re a first time home buyer there’s programs out there for you and you don’t need to bring 20% down in order to buy your first home. So when you’re ready to buy your first home I just want to stress that I think it’s so important for you to do your own research. You know if you’re getting a couple recommendations from family and friends, plug them in in Google see what kind of reviews come up and once you find a couple people that you think you would work well with, I stive you to put a phone call with them and see how they communicate, if you connect with them because ultimately you want to work with someone that you like, trust, connect with and communicates with you.
