To be educated in most areas of real estate. To have the answer or know where to get it. To keep buyers and sellers educated on their personal situation. To have knowledge of the current market and to keep up on the education of new situations in real estate.

Thu May 8 2008, 09:01

Hi Dana,
The Trulia voices so far have been good..Patrick gets the highest marks. He recommends reading (a book by a fellow Baylor grad, so yes read it!) and hard work (I told another Baylor grad that he need to study and get good grads. I told to him that he shouldn't rely on football to pay his bills. I got that one wrong, Mike Singletary did ok in his football career.)
The lastest economic insight into establishing customer base is "authenticity". Buyers want "over"due diligence to take the risk of buying in this market -- and it's unique! prices falling and mortgage rates in flux.
best of luck
Mary

Thu Mar 27 2008, 09:47

free hot dogs and good attitude
try it, you never know

anyways

good luck

Thu Mar 27 2008, 09:40

Dana,
You question is great; the answer(s): treat everyone with the golden rule, and be the best you can... we all are still learning in this profession, and it is still a people business. Honesty, being a market expert, hard work, and attention to details are great attrubutes of a great agent.

Thu Mar 27 2008, 09:02

Trust is good. Actual knowledge about the market you are showing homes in doesn't hurt!

Tue Mar 25 2008, 17:34

Dana, I think the answer is TRUST.

Tue Mar 25 2008, 17:32

Ok, here's the consumer's answer: As a Seller, I value the check. He he.
I personally do well with smart Realtors who tell me the truth. It will get me the check faster.
I probably have a bit more experience than the average consumer, so my answer is likely not true for all consumers. I once referred a Realtor friend to a neighbor who was interviewing agents for a listing. i said, "He's pretty smart, so just tell him the truth." That turned out to be bad advice as my neighbor listed with another agent at about $100,000 over market. But at the end of the day, Sellers who will not listen to you are just going to cost you time and advertising money, anyway.
On this pricing thing: don't just say it - prove it. Bring comps, bring comps, bring comps. I also personally value a true marketing PLAN. Not just stick it in MLS and hope it sells. Since every one says that the web sells, I want a professional web presence. I don't want my property on an amateur web site, with typos and bad format. A template gone wrong.
Good question and thank you for asking.

Wed Nov 14 2007, 11:06

Dana, I commend you on always wanting to improve your skills and services. Buyers and sellers #1 want to know that they are being taken care of from beginning to end. The only way to let them be certain of that is communication! I agree with Connie. So many people have the impression that their REALTOR did nothing for them when the reality is probably that the REALTOR did not communicate his services to the client. Do the work and then tell them about it. Quality Service is what it is all about!

Wed Nov 14 2007, 08:45

From what I read, Seller's rank communication as #1. As far as buyers, I agree with Alicia. Connie

Wed Nov 14 2007, 07:40

Honesty, integrity and Professionalism.

Tue Nov 13 2007, 19:40

I think it is working through the tough parts of the transaction. Anyone including the seller can throw a sign in the yard. It's knowing who to turn to when the going gets tough. What can you do for the client who has sold their home and now can't qualify for a loan to purchase a new home due to underwriting changes in the middle of the process? What can you do for a seller who has contracted on a new home and will loose their earnest money if they can't close due to contract fallout on the home they're moving from. What can you do for the seller who has negative equity? How can you make the process easier for everyone?

Sun Aug 26 2007, 23:39

I love all these answers, but I sure wish a consumer would answer!

Sat Aug 25 2007, 20:30

In my experience they value integrity, loyalty and honesty! Be available, answer questions, keep communications open. I find more sellers complain that after they list their house, they never hear from their realtor again, and when the try to make contact their agent does not return their call! Buyers, usually I find most buyers easier to please. The process for buying caters to the needs of buyers.

Sat Aug 25 2007, 20:11

Dana....

I would piggyback on what has been said and also add: communication, communication, communication!

In today's market place our clients have high expectations of us but mostly we need to communication our knowledge to them (ok this translates into service). The key to any successful relationship is communication.

Sat Aug 25 2007, 18:58

Dana,
I Think actually I know. The Service they value most is....SERVICE!
The client expects you do be honest. everyone should be honest.
Show them that great full service Realtor. They will see the great value.

I guess you are new. The millionaire Real Estate Agent, by Gary Keller, will help you.
Disclaimer I do not work for KW

Sat Aug 25 2007, 18:44

Dana great question, I agree with Todd consumers are looking for honest answers, If you show them the cold hard facts they cant argue them and they do appreciate the honesty, even when its not always to their benefit.

My best answer is treat people the way you want to be treated and you will attract the people that can and will work with you. Be yourself always inspite of what others are doing including people in your own office and other Realtors, be yourself! :) if you don't know an answer to a queation be honest and tell the client you will get it for them. They do appreciate Realtors who dont act like they know it all, they do discern sincerity... and sincerity always pays off in the end....if not with one client it will the next.

you cannot be all things to all people all the time... but you can always be true to yourself and thats a great feeling that shines from within.....

Your gonna do great.

Sat Aug 25 2007, 17:33

In any market, but specifically in this current challenging market, I have found that buyers and seller alike have really valued hard facts about the market. Regardless of what a seller wants to hear, I have found that sellers value the honest truth about the market. If you can grab a hold of relevant stats and figures about the market for a seller's specific property, you will also be able to advise buyers very well too.

As an example, my team subscribes to Big House Data's monthly stats and quarterly inventory packages for Washtenaw County.

Monthly Stats (http://blog.team366.com/?s=market+stats)
Quarterly Inventory Reports (http://blog.team366.com/market-statistics/)

Best of luck! You appear to be heading in the right direction, if your question is any indication.

TW

Sat Aug 25 2007, 15:38