Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year... now what?

So we made it through the holidays and now it is back to work for most of us. For those of you who shut down the home search -  it's time to start back up. But where to begin? Like most things in life - it is best to have a game plan for success. The best way to start is to take a little time to determine what is most important to you and make a list of all your wants and needs - ranking least to most important. Then go over your list with your Realtor to find a home with as many qualities from that list as possible.

 The New Year may also be a good time to evaluate your Realtor and how they are responding to your needs. Are they available for your phone calls, and do they return emails in a timely manner? How available are they to take you out or show your home? Do they plan outings or just direct you to open houses? Remember, the most important aspect of any Realtor is how they respond to you. Many deals are timing based and one does not want to miss out on a sale or miss getting an offer accepted due to the slow actions of her realtor.

Jill and I are always amazed how difficult it can be to get return phone calls from listing Realtors. We recommend people periodically check from time to time how fast their realtor is responding to calls by having a friend test the system. If your realtor is slow or does not return calls - it may be time to find somebody else or refuse to renew your listing. When searching for a new Realtor - don't always believe the hype.