I liked Vicky's answer too.

We know what the best agents do, we work with them everyday. I guess the easiest way to answer this question is: who do we prefer to work with: a brand new agent or an experienced one with a terrible reputation.

In that lies the truth.

GB

Yes. And don't rewrite history either. If experience doesn't matter then I guess I can go to my mechanic for cancer, or ask my realtor on how to do my taxes (well that depends on the realtor) Point is, training in a formal classroom is one thing, but applied practical experience is something that incorporates what one has learned from formal education applied in real world scenarios with real consequences.

When you need answers for a life and death situation, one I have recently been exposed to, you will seek answers from those most experienced...trust me, it made a big difference. When you are in your twenties you are eager, fast, cocky with a lot to prove and still playing hard. Thirties, eager, fast and cocky but with more purpose but a lot to prove. Forties eager, deliberate, still trying to prove,perhaps a bit cocky., Fifties, all that cockiness is gone, you are deliberate, dont need to prove but do out of habit, and realizing time is running out. Sixties I don't know, Seventies, more of I don't know, Eighties, doubt I will know, Nineties I don't want to know unless I'm filthy rich and they have found the fountain of youth...(nah, I would probably do a Wilber Mills or something) But then again I'm in my fifties so I don't really know about it... do I!

Guess I'll ask a ninety year old...

OK I did. Aunt Mary, just turned 100. Called me a squirt. (I'm 53) Her wisdom is this: The 2nd 50 go a lot faster than the first 50!

Have a good day!

For sure I was better when I sold my 20th house than my first. But, on the other hand I have seen old fogies with 500 sales under their belt not be able to keep up with current trends.

There's a balance somewhere... kind of like being a parent. Your 2nd sentence - "each closing has different issues" - is right. Just like kids - each one is different.

I have 4 kids, having one did not make me fully prepared for the second; having 2 did not make me fully prepared for the 3rd... and so on. My first benefited from me having much more time and focus on just him... even if I didn't have experience under my belt, I had energy and effort and enthusiasm... but the 4th gets the benefit of my experience. Which time was I a better mom? Who knows... it's give and take.

The reality is some people are always, naturally good moms. Some people never are.

It's the same for being an agent - some are always, naturally, good agents. Some people never are. Even if you fall in that latter category, they keep letting you sell homes. What a shame.

Hi, Suzette, I believe experience helps to solve some problems in different transactions, but every agent was new at one time, I agree with Margaret, there are many new agents are much better agents than agents with more years of experience. I think being ethical is more important than just counting experiences. I think consumers need to keep an open mind when it comes to choose an agent to work with them, experience is important, but it is not the only element to make a good realtor.

Thanks for putting this question here.

Good response Margaret, but you also said you went to seek other experience to make sure your i's were dotted etc. The more experience you have the the more others will come to you. What a Realtor does with the expereince they learn over the years is a whole other issue. The results in the expereince learned is in the success of the Realtor and the referral busines they get later. References later says it all.
By the way I placed the question here because I was asked to for the public to see also..

Suzette,
Yes and no,
There are agents or Realtors - do you know the difference? that have over 20 years of experience but do not pay any attention to detail and do not represent their clients or customers - do you know the difference? very well.

And there are some New agents that take a lot of time making sure they don't make any mistakes to they ask their broker or a senior agent in the office to make sure they have crossed ever t and dotted every I and spoken to every one and said all that had to be said to every one.

So I guess all matters.

By the way on paying attention, we have a forum called agent to agent where we usually place these messages but I am an old horse too and placed such a question here too. LOL

Margaret