I have been a buyer many times, and here is what I want in a real estate agent. l. knows and understands the real estate laws and regulations very well 2.Shows me only homes I have indicated I want to see only in areas I have indicated I want to go. No "bait and switch" trying to get me to pay more, or buy where the agent would get a higher commission. 3.answers all my questions or finds the answer. 4. Is willing to point the defects and upgrades in the houses we look at. 5. is very familiar with the sold prices of other houses in the neighborhood 6. Has lists of all the important names and locations of shopping, schools, political representatives, etc. My favorite agent had a whole binder that had the info he copied off one of the internet maps.

Just be sure to NEVER lie to your clients, or people viewing a house that you have listed. Even if you are dealing with younger people. It's funny because some agents think that lying and such will get them through. I have an area around my town where the houses are sinking because of the foundation. I went to look at a house, and he thought that I would have no clue. I brought it up, and he tried to lie. I walked right out. I had done the research before I went into the house. Just be honest. Even if it's "this could use a little fixing". Good luck!

I would like to inform you what, possibly, NOT to do. THEN what you should do. THEN you should be able to make your decisions and proceed from there. UNLESS you are instructed to do so, DON'T fax, e-mail or text message every agent in every person you know about rates and services. DON'T use direct mail to promote your office and services. Some time ago, I read a statistic which may or may not be true today: FOR EVERY piece of direct mail a company or an individual sends, ONLY 1 in 100 will respond to that direct-mail promotion. At today's postal rates - 1st class - that's $41 you could use for other purposes. THAT'S the cost JUST for the response! This DOES NOT include the cost of buying the stationery and envelopes, toner etc. JUST to get the appointment is 1 in about 250-500. Your costs are accelerating, aren't they? AND you STILL DON'T have a lead! It takes ABOUT 1 piece of direct mail to generate 1 appointment. It takes about 1,500 to 2,000 direct mail pieces to get JUST one appointment ALL the way to the closing/settlement/escrow. That's about $600 to $800+ before you see one dollar - not to mention your time - "spinning your wheels", wasting your time. ((((You don't have a lead - yet.))))) DON'T lease or spend [notice I didn't say "invest"] your hard-earned money for a piece of equipment with automatic phone dialing and recording/speaking features, telling folks about your office and services. Do you like getting those telemarketing calls? Do you like or mind getting any telemarketing calls? If I haven't discouraged you, we'll move on to the "grey area": "cold canvassing". Its a terrific way to meet people face-to-face, one-on-one! It requires going to the same areas about once every two weeks to one month. To save yourself some time, you MAY have to make a presentation in front of a group of neighbors/residents - JUST for them to see you're a real, live, breathing, cooperative, "knowledgeable" individual. You know your product. You know how to solve various situations ["problems"] which arise on a regular basis. When you DON'T know how to solve those problems, you KNOW what hoops and hurdles you have jump over, under, around and through; who to speak with the right person to get the answers and solutions to get your deals to the settlement table/to closing/to escrow. The above are the DON'Ts, and the “gray area”. Here are a couple DOs: What about the cost of your business cards? Do you think you can "cut corners" and make a good impression with those thin, flat, lifeless, computer-generated cards? PLEASE DO yourself a HUGE favor: Invest your time, sit down and properly design your business cards. If you aren't sure, please go to a professional printer or graphic arts store and ask for help and guidance. Those folks should amaze you with ideas and concepts. In the long run, good, professionally printed business cards with raised lettering and features, go a long way to show others you care - about yourself, about your business and about your clients. When you leave, all your contacts and clients have left are two things: 1] Good, bad or indifferent - the impression you left. 2] Your business card. Don't you think it makes good sense to invest your money in a good, quality business card? Have your cards professionally printed. Find an investment group - or two - or more with professional real estate investors - &&&&&&&&&&&&& BE ACTIVE!!!! Get on committees, get to be known as a "can do" type of person. You should have fun [and Yes, some aggravation, too]. You should make some friends and begin building your client base. You should get leads! AND look how much time, money and aggravation you should save! LOTS! Do the same with your church, temple or mosque! If you have a hobby, join an organized group with interests in that hobby. Another suggestion: If you like politics, get involved with your local government, county government and school district. As the saying goes, "Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door." What the saying doesn't tell anyone or even mention is: YOU MUST get out there and let "the world" know about that better mousetrap! I wish you well! VTY, Ron Berue Yes, that is my real last name! Source(s: My wonderful family! My terrific mentors and coaches! In the real estate business over 34 years in Pennsylvania. THE ABSOLUTE BEST, MOST WONDERFUL real estate investment group in the world, which I was very proud to be a member of! “The University of Hard Knocks”

Get all the money you can, Even if its in the worst way!!!

Here's an an article I recently wrote for an industry publication, which I think might help: Expanding the Realtor Reach - Five (Free) Building Blocks to Fast Forward Future Sales Realtors don't need to be reminded how competitive it is to gain new clients, nor do they need to be reminded how the recent economic turmoil affects local transaction activity. Instead, well-healed Realtors are better served focusing on the future and how they can progressively promote their skill sets to attract and retain new clients. Below are five free building blocks to expand the Realtor's reach and gain new clients: Website - Okay, this may be a bit obvious, but let this be your core - your foundation for the building blocks that follow. Make sure it presents well, personifies your abilities, showcases your listings, and conveys confidence. Blog - Consider the website your formal business card and your blog is the less formal conversation you have as you exchange business cards. Make sure you have something good to say. Chronicle a unique experience. Feature timely information about the local market that only you know best. Feel free to provide tasteful links to your listings, but don't dilute your blog with that (admittedly important) content. Instead, let that content reside on your website. If your reader likes what you share in your blog, then they will find you and your listings on your website. Facebook - A nifty profile with lots of friends just isn't enough. Instead, create a fan page and encourage all your friends and past clients to "fan" you. Using this platform, broadcast recent listings (with links, of course), sales, recent blog posts, open houses, and all other meaningful activity. Twitter - Twitter is now the medium where news breaks first. Think of it as your personal news room. Create an account, follow only those who interest you most (not the whole planet), and encourage your clients and prospective clients to follow you. After all, this is the platform you will use to broadcast the latest listings - in most cases before they surface anywhere else. This is your chance to get a leg-up on the competition. Do not underestimate the power of this free resource! Village Voyage - The Internet is an abyss of information and you've worked hard to build your brand. Tie it all together with Village Voyage. Similar to Wikipedia, Village Voyage is a wiki and anyone can participate. Think of it as your on-line cocktail party with many different conversations all centered around your community, your target audience, your clients. Create a Village Voyage page to further expand your online presence, while at the same time, taking advantage of the opportunity to add valuable back-links to your website, blog, and other online pages. Beyond that, be bold. Use Village Voyage to meet new clients, build credibility, and differentiate yourself by demonstrating your local market knowledge and expertise. Best way to locate your targeted markets: http://www.villagevoyage.com/wiki/Category:States