Anything that detracts from the home will hurt its value, especially if it’s in the front yard where everyone can see it. In addition, a transformer box will make some people concerned about the possibility of electric and magnetic fields which some believe can cause cancer. However, if you can purchase the house at the […]
How do I become a successful broker who sells houses? It’s my dream job.
See if you can shadow one or more successful local agents for a few weeks. What you’ll quickly discover is that selling real estate is a whole lot harder and pays a whole lot less money than most people think. Job shadowing lets you see past the glamorized television stereotypes into the real day-to-day work […]
Can a real estate agent create a contract in which if the first buyer’s contract to buy the house fails, the back-up buyer can buy the house?
Yes, it’s called a Back-up Offer Addendum. As a listing agent, I always like having at least one back-up offer to keep the primary buyer moving forward because they know if they push back too hard on repairs or other contingencies there’s somebody else ready to buy the property. Having a back-up offer in place […]
Why do some people who have a real estate brokers license work under a brokerage and don’t have their own company?
I have been a real estate broker for over 40 years and during that time have owned a number of my own brokerages but now work under a franchised broker. What I discovered is that owning your own real estate office is a 24/7 job for very little money and extremel high liability. The average […]
How do I become my own Realtor to buy a home?
Why on earth would you want to become a real estate agent to buy a home??? I assume you think you’re going to keep the commission for yourself. First, you’re going to spend several hundred dollars and at least a hundred hours taking the necessary classes and then sitting for the exam. Let’s call that […]
What is best real estate company to work for?
The best real estate company to work for is the one that best meets your needs. If you’re a new agent you need training, coaching and other support but you’re going to pay for it. If you’re an agent with 3–5 years’ experience you need help finding more clients on which to hone your skills. […]
What are some safety tips for a real estate agent hosting an open house?
Whenever we are allowed to hold open houses again I would NEVER hold one alone. Pre-coronavirus I would always co-host open houses with a lender for security as well as a good business practice. My open houses were always jam-packed so I could never have handled all the visitors by myself. The lender would ask […]
What is a reasonable offer below the asking price of a property?
It really depends on many factors: What are buyers paying for similar properties? What’s the current demand and competition for this particular property? In many cases right now buyers are lucky to pay full price for a home and get it. We had one property recently that had 20 offers and sold for more than […]
I want to invest in real estate on the side. Should I get a real estate license or pay the agent fees?
Unless you plan to take the time to learn the business and stay current with local, state and federal laws you’re better off paying the agent fees and writing them off. You cannot deduct your time and an investor who acts as their own agent not only doubles their liability but has a fool for […]