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Why Selling your home without a Realtor is a Nightmare you’d never want to see!

If you plan to sell your home without recruiting the services of a realtor, think again.
You do not want to take such a massive risk while carrying out what is probably the
biggest financial transaction of your lifetime, do you? By sidestepping this critical
enabler, homeowners expose hard-earned money and valuable time to a larger risk,
while frittering away some significant benefits.
Most buyers/sellers who opt for this route, usually want to forgo the commission paid
to the agent but fail to pre-empt the valuable benefits he offers in return. In fact,
surveys have shown that such properties usually sell for a comparatively lower price
than those sold with the assistance of a professional realtor.
Before taking a decision, check out these proven benefits a realtor will bring to the
table if you engage his services to buy or sell a property
1. Availability of Time: Given the tight work schedules, you actually do not
have time to show around the home and play the role of a real estate agent.
How will you manage showing the home while you are out on a business trip
or a vacation? Your friendly, neighborhood realtor is ready to showcase your
property at a short notice and collect the right feedback from prospective
buyers about it too, by asking the right questions (could you do that?). He will
even offer solutions to problems a prospective buyer perceives, especially
those that could come in the way of concluding a deal.

2. Priceless Knowledge: The domain knowledge that a realtor possesses is
truly invaluable and as a layman it is difficult to match up to it. He knows how
to pick holes in the story that the property websites weave around the home
and provide valuable insights to the prospect. He is aware of the history
surrounding the home and is able to turn it into a selling point.
3. Marketing awareness: While selling a property, image is of vital importance
and you rarely get a second chance to create a good impression about your
home. Professional realtors know how to “prepare” a home when a
prospective buyer comes visiting or when property images have to be shared
with an interested party. Marketing your property will need the expertise of a
realtor and you wouldn’t want to miss out on this valuable quality for the sake
of commission.
4. Experienced negotiator: When you engage a certified realtor and entrust the
task of finding the right buyer for it, you get many bundled-up qualities too. His
expert negotiation skills (due to the endless hours he has spent doing this)
always keeps the buyer interested and he ensures that terms and conditions
always work in your favour.
5. Understands Closure: There are dozens of things to be taken care of, after
the deal is sealed in your favour. With a realtor managing things for you, you
can be assured that last-minute issues and unexpected delays at the
registrar’s office or loan formalities are taken care of. He is qualified enough to
carry out firefighting activities whenever needed and this truly makes a realtor
an indispensable part of a buying/selling process of a home property.
6. Safety: With property portals and online agencies making the buying and
selling easy, it has also attracted a lot of negative attention too. When you put
up your home, its images and other details on the internet, you can expect
unknown buyers wanting to see your home. You wouldn’t know the actual
intentions or background of the so-called “prospect” since there is no agent
who can verify that. Won’t this put your home and family at a risk? And all this
because you do not want to pay a commission to the agent. Think again!
It makes great sense to appoint a certified realtor to help you to sell your property
and avoid a lot of costly mistakes that could come back to haunt you in the future.

Use the professional services of a realtor who not only helps you to protect your
interests but will also justify your home’s value that is so rightly deserves.

Considering taking up a Realtor’s job?

Considering taking up a Realtor’s job? Take this reality check first!
Making a career as a realtor or a real estate agent is the easiest thing in the world. Absolutely wrong. Contrary to popular notions, building up a career as a realtor is NOT as easy as it is thought to be and needs as much dedication, sincerity, and effort as any other job in the world. The society, which is unaware of the hard work that goes into the making of a competent realtor, views it quite differently and forms its own misconceptions about this profession. We all would have known that “Uncle” who, banking heavily on “contacts and personality” jumped into the business of real estate and soon fizzled out after learning the hard truths well, the hard way.

If you are someone who has set your sights on becoming a realtor, it will be prudent to understand that it’s not a glamorous job and definitely not one for the faint-hearted. Generally, it is thought to be the ideal profession for someone who is gregarious, out-going and independent. However, it needs much more than these qualities to even qualify as a realtor and a lot of grit and determination to succeed as one.

Check out these real-life confessions by realtors who gave defined success in a brand new way and then decide if this is truly the profession you want to be in

It’s definitely not a “Work for 2-3 hours & earns millions” kind of a job

So what kind of a pay-check do realtors take home? It will surely be enough to cover all the expenses of running a shop, showing clients around and footing the occasional hotel bill. Realtors taking off large chunks of money in the form of commissions is close to being a myth as there are many expenses to be managed. Office rentals, utilities, staff salaries and many other miscellaneous expenses like advertising, promotional material, business cards, etc. have to be paid and you need to consider them before jumping with joy about the large commission cheque received.

Did I mention taxes yet? Well, you would have to pay taxes on the income received. Meeting up with clients, checking out properties, fuel expenses, and the works. Add them up and that large commission amount shrinks up a lot.

Can you sell “yourself”?

Selling homes is not a profession for the meek. Though an outgoing, gregarious personality may not guarantee a successful career as a realtor, it surely helps to be an individual who can connect to perfect strangers with ease. Building trust and confidence about your capabilities and your ability to conduct transparent transactions will go a long way in creating a long and loyal client list. But if you are one who constantly shoots off the hip, it is ultra-careful with your aim. Homes are large transactions that many of your buyers may conduct only once or twice during their lifetimes. This means that they will need to have implicit trust in the person facilitating this deal.
Realtors can easily get slotted in a category similar to insurance agents and are labeled as being “commission-hungry” or “pushy”, so ensure you are not one of them. Having a professional yet friendly attitude towards clients is the key to success as a realtor selling high-value properties.

Get ready for that “middle-of-the-night” call

I hope you are a light sleeper and even the faintest beep from your mobile can wake you up at unearthly hours. No, it’s not going to be a love note. Rather expect a call from a distraught buyer/seller who himself is spending sleepless nights over the biggest transaction of his life and expects you to join in and give him company in tiding over this difficult phase. Go ahead and hold his/her hand (strictly theoretically speaking) for a while to assuage their feelings and sing them a lullaby to put them to sleep.

Buying or selling a home is a long-drawn process and during this period, there could be occasional tiffs and tiny cold wars. Your client will always demand the moon (and not want to pay as much) so it is your talent that will come in handy to convince him/her that the moon does not have enough amenities that will do justice to their budget.

If BYOB is your mantra, then real estate selling is THE job for you!

You are going to be sailing off all alone in your own boat with no or little support when you decide to get into this demanding but highly satisfying profession. If you are comfortable chatting up clients, putting them at ease with your knowledge and a dash of humor, ready to spend days without a single prospect in sight (Who told you a realtor’s life is an easy one?) then you are primed to BYOB (Be your own boss).

However, this is a profession that will empower you with abilities to help others create their homes and settle down in life. Being a go-getter and a positive thinker will help since there will be days when nothing seems to be going right. Tiding over such situations will test your true caliber and transform you into a true blue realtor ready to take on the world.

You will do well to remember that we all buy or transact through people whom we trust. By creating the right visual imagery before a client and empathizing with their needs as yours, you can expect a lifetime emotional connect with them. Selling real estate is not about reading a book that says “How to”. Carry out a reality check for yourself before you get your feet wet in these turbulent waters of real estate buying and selling and you will never regret your decision ever.

Eight sure-fire signs that show you enjoy being a Realtor

Whether you are a full-time entrepreneur or working with a high-profile realtor, either way, you spend more than 8-10 hours at work, not to mention a couple of hours spent commuting to and from office. Overall, half of your day is spent at work-related activities with the rest being used up for sleep and leisure activities (Don’t worry, we won’t get into any details!).

There are a few unmistakable signs that show that you enjoy your work as a Realtor so let’s check them out:

Remember playing your favorite outdoor game or playing a musical instrument you love, and getting oblivious to all that surrounds you? Whenever we do something that is truly our beloved choice of activity, we forget our worries and immerse ourselves in a world of our own. When we enjoy work, we become unaware of time and keep at it till we finish it that is because we are in love with what we do. Work doesn’t seem like a burden and time flows by without a hindrance.
When humans connect to other similar beings, it fills them with joy and happiness but the feeling is further enhanced when we create something of value. When a job is completed, be it the smallest one, the unmistakable feeling of fulfillment and contentment is the highest form of reward one can get. As a realtor, cracking a lucrative deal for your client or getting a much-coveted property for them, can be extremely fulfilling. If this fills your chest up with pride, then be assured you are in the right profession.
If the entire household is up in the morning and you are still in bed, trying to find a valid excuse to bunk office for the 4^th time in the week, there is something seriously amiss. Those who are up and running, wanting to show that first client of the day a choice property or shoot that email the first thing in the morning, should be certain that real estate is the perfect industry to be in.
When you relate to other people in your office as separate individuals (not a junior or a boss) and see them as someone who can contribute to making a deal ahead of or giving valuable inputs, these are signs that work for you isn’t a struggle. Working together is an essential part of the realty business and you certainly seem to be made for it.
Listen to some canteen or coffee machine conversation at work or while commuting and you will realize that you will hear a lot of complaints about how far the workplace is or the timings are too early or the co-workers are insufferable. However, if you enjoy your daily commute, interacting with colleagues and going about your work schedule in a brisk manner, they surely point in the right direction for you and realty is the one job you are made for.
Who said realty business is easy? Or for that matter, no job is easy. Artists may have to restart on their work if the final product does not match their vision or a writer may have to write pages, edit them, scrap them and begin from zero. As a realtor, a client may show tremendous promise but may not give great returns. But if you are one who does not lose heart and moves on to the next client (who knows when an earlier client could knock at your door again), then you are surely in the apt business.
When someone at a party asks you “What profession do you belong to?” do you clam up or give them a complete lowdown about your realty business. If you are a part of the latter, then you have made the right decision by joining up at the real estate business. (Now, don’t go overboard and dole out visiting cards to the entire crowd). The first signs of loving what you do are when you can’t stop talking about it and if that’s what you identify with, then realty is the place to be.
Work stops being work when one enjoys it and it becomes an extension of who you are, becoming a part of your personality. When you love something, your output maximizes and reaches the top, giving you the satisfaction of completing a marathon. Having accomplished a lot does tire one out but in a positive manner and if that’s how you feel at the end of the day, then you are doing it right for sure.

With a large chunk of time being utilized for work, it is necessary to ensure that you are enjoying whatever your work entails. Remember, we all get only one chance to live our lives.