Jan Mars

Most cities have a Realtor Association. Here in Memphis it is called Memphis Area Association of Realtors, MAAR for short. Our association has a Multi-Million Dollar Club, currently you must sell 3.5 million dollars worth of property in one year to be a member of the club. If you meet this goal five out of eight years you will become a lifetime member. I am sure there are similar "clubs" in your area.
I would start my search with the local Realtor Association. - Thu May 8 2008, 21:23

Hello, that is a wonderful question! It is a question that I also asked when I was just beginning in the real estate field. I imagined being this really great agent and showing up at each showing that my listings had and really "selling it". I did not understand the competitiveness of this business. A buyer's agent does not want me there while they are showing their clients property. In hindsight, I don't want to be there either. There are legal and ethical issues that come into play if their client contacts me at a later date about the property. It is better to keep the two parties separate.
Here's what you are not thinking about....I don't have to be there to "sell" your property. I "sell" my listings in the descriptions I write under the pictures online. I might place "signs" around the house to point out features that may be overlooked (laundry chute, large pantry, etc). I create a website for the property and leave flyers out with the address on it so that the buyers can "revisit" the listing later. I also "sell" my listings by doing a lot of research to make sure that they are asking the right price for the property. I also preview other listings that a potential buyer might look at to make sure that my seller has their property in the best condition compared to the other homes.
These are just a few examples of how a listing agent really does "sell" your home even if they are not there when a buyer is looking. Before becoming an agent I just thought you made a flyer, put it in MLS and sat back and waited to make some money :-) Boy was I wrong! A good listing agent has a lot of work to do to sell a listing!
I hope this helped you think about a realtor's service in a different way. Good luck to you!
Jan Mars - Thu May 8 2008, 15:37