Realtors offers security and a calm comfort zone

Some home buyers and sellers doggedly cling to a misconception about the role of a Realtor thinking the primary purpose is to find property or market a home.

It used to be that way 10 or 15 years ago, but now that’s a long way from the truth. Finding property is now only 5-10 percent of a Realtor’s job.

By WINNIE DAVIS, President, and DAVID WALKER

Southland Regional Association of Realtors®

Some home buyers and sellers doggedly cling to a misconception about the role of a Realtor thinking the primary purpose is to find property or market a home.

It used to be that way 10 or 15 years ago, but now that's a long way from the truth. Finding property is now only 5-10 percent of a Realtor's job.

The true value of a Realtor lies in negotiating skills, technological savvy, intimate knowledge of the market and protecting clients by taking care of legal requirements and vital steps such as inspections, disclosures and guiding the escrow process.

Realtors who can add value are really needed. They have the expertise in negotiating and technology that can save clients time and money.

Like the housing market itself, the residential real estate profession is in the midst of a transformation, a paradigm shift that has Realtors cast in a complex supporting role that buyers and sellers will more fully appreciate only as they understand the intricacies of the modern market.

"Never before has a Realtor been needed for so many reasons!" one Realtor said recently. "The more a buyer or seller learn about the industry, the more they will understand the need for a professional. Remember the old adage: a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client. Be prepared when you make one of the largest investments of your life by having proper representation from a qualified agent."

Beyond finding property, too many people think a Realtor's next biggest role centers primarily on marketing. While creating a detailed, complete, regionwide, multi-media marketing plan is essential, that's still only the beginning.

Realtors today must be tech savvy and show they are one step ahead of the game. Realtors must show they have hands-on expertise, are skillful negotiators, can provide good marketing/advertising for the home, help clients navigate through all the legal documentation, and essentially help clients with one of the biggest purchases of their lives.

How could a football team win the Super Bowl without a skilled coach? The current market requires more creativity, more flexibility and the utilization of every tool available.

Why take the chance of losing in the real estate game when a wise buyer or seller can invest in the services of a Realtor who can coach them to the desired success?

To one Realtor, "Buying or selling a home without using an experienced agent is like driving without insurance. Realtors are worth the money."

Today's marketplace requires a more resourceful, more knowledgeable agent to keep the client informed and get the job done. Agents need to truly know their product, religiously caravanning to every new listing and getting to know other agents on a first-name basis. Agents need to be indispensable. Reachable. Innovative.

Home buyers and sellers are turned off if they too frequently run into voice mail or assistants. With so many agents competing today, being unreachable is likely to lead to the loss of a client.

"Many sellers have complex emotional ties to their property and may associate the sale with optimistic or pessimistic views of their future," a real estate professional said. "It's important that Realtors identify the motive for the property sale and what, if any, emotions are triggered by the perspective sale. Know your client."

Entering into escrow is like going out to sea during a storm without a captain, she said.

A client can feel secure and relax in the storm known as escrow if they know they have a good captain steering the ship.

The Southland Regional Association of Realtors is a local trade association comprised of more than 12,000 members serving the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys. SRAR is one of the largest local associations in the nation. Go to www.srar.com to search for every home listed for sale in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys.