So what is a Real Estate Consultant?
Consulting is a business approach that recognizes the client as boss. In real estate, consulting is a service that truly focuses on client needs rather than on making a sale. A real estate consultant provides choices to clients, from standard commission-based representation to flat fee professional services, and always with complete transparency for all fees and costs. Working with a consultant may mean contracting for professional services that provide an un-biased, independent opinion that has nothing to do with making a sale. Or, a real estate consultant most often works on a traditional commission, but the difference is the service perspective and choices for the client. Choices that may save you money by paying only for what you need or want. A consultant recognizes that one size does not fit all in our industry - it all begins with your needs and your budget, and ends with fees that make sense to you and your real estate professional. Choose a Real Estate consultant if you want to be consulted with, not sold to, by a professional REALTOR. As an accredited Real Estate Consultant, I offer my professional and extensive business experience with this difference. Contact me for a personal discussion about your needs.
Seller Services
Professional real estate services from a consulting basis always begin with an analysis of client needs and end with an agreement for fees that makes sense. Consulting is not an approach for discount service, but offers the highest level of professional service meeting those needs. Fees are negotiable based on the needs assessment and the costs of services required. A full menu of services available is not practicable here, or useful without consideration of client requirements. Below, however, is a limited discussion of consulting services available.
Listing Services
RE/MAX Alliance offers extraordinary full service listings to sell your home on a traditional commission basis. Marketing performance far exceeds the minimum fiduciary duties and common practices in the industry. RE/MAX sells more homes! Additionally, however, consultant-based representation provides you with choices. Custom listing services are available at your choice to save you money based upon what is needed to sell your home. Customized listing packages do not consists of “cut rate” service, but may allow you to retain marketing activities that can be completed by you to sell your home, depending upon what is needed. When focusing on results, RE/MAX is glad to compete with anybody! In consulting on these services, the purpose is getting your home sold at the best price and the least cost, while maintaining the full professional standards of a RE/MAX Realtor. Contact me to discuss how I can sell, not just list, your home.
Home Value Analysis
Do you need to know the true market value of your home, even if you are not sure you want to list it just now? You may be considering whether to sell your property and move on, or to stay where you are for now. Perhaps you are considering remodeling or expanding. Is it a good investment? What are the costs of preparing your home for sale? Will you recover them? Where is the market really going? What will my home value be if I wait? Today’s market uncertainty makes these answers more difficult. There are many other reasons you may need to know the realistic value of your home. The traditional approach is to get a "free" CMA from a real estate agent. You could just pretend you want to list your home and get a price opinion for free - or even get several! Well, free advice is often worth what you pay for it – exactly $0.00! Can you relie on a price opinion when the purpose is to compete for a listing to sell your home? Or an opinion from a neighbor or relative? Maybe, and it's free! On the other hand, home value consulting is an independent professional analysis of the marketability of your property, the probable costs and expected proceeds of selling your home. It is a professional service similar to what you would expect from your tax accountant, your attorney, or your doctor. Consulting consists of two visits: A listen and observe session to view your property and determine your needs and questions. Once the scope of the work is determined, the consulting fee is paid, and market research is completed. The second session is to advise and report on the marketability of your home, and to answer your questions. Recommendations may include improvements to consider on a cost/benefit basis, listing and probable sales price, marketing costs and choices. The fee for this value consulting is $250. Additional services can be agreed to on an hourly charge basis. Contact me to discuss this service.
Seller Transaction Only Service
You may be selling your home by yourself, and you have a buyer that wants to buy it at your price. Congratulations, you may have saved each of you considerable money in commissions! But what do you do now? What about legal disclosures? What contract to use? How about inspections? How do you get this deal to close? This period is where the rubber hits the road and where pot holes can jar you. Having a professional REALTOR guide you through the process can protect you from losing the money you worked hard to save – and protect you from losing much more. Remember, our area is known for everybody suing everybody over anything. REALTORS have personal and professional experience in all types of transactions, so we know what to look out for and what you need to do to protect yourself. Transaction-only representation consulting is offered to complete a sales transaction with an identified buyer for the property at an agreed purchase price. No marketing is required from the Realtor, but troubleshooting and coordination of contract actions, disclosures, and other documentation is provided, with monitoring of the necessary steps to reach a closing. After an initial conversation, the fee is paid and a one-time listing contract made with the seller as a client, specific to the transaction and the buyer at the agreed purchase price. Assistance is provided in preparation and execution of a legal purchase contract with actions that will lead to closing. The fee for this service is $500. Additional services requested can be agreed to on an hourly charge basis. Contact me to get your sale to closing.
Buyer Services
Representing you as a buyer of residential real estate is on a commission basis, paid by the seller at closing. Recent changes in law and common practice have put more emphasis on the agent representing the needs and best interests of the buyer-client, even though pay is derived only from the sale. Is the agent a salesman or a trusted confident of the client? It depends entirely on the agent and the agent’s business practices. As an accredited Real Estate Consultant my business model recognizes the client as boss, to whom I offer professional services. It’s simply the way I work. I was a business consultant long before I entered real estate. My professional practice is one of a consultant rather than salesman.
What does that mean to you, as a potential buyer-client? For one thing, it means I offer new clients a free one hour, consulting session in my office. I review the current real estate and finance market conditions and trends, explain the processes of buying a home, and help my potential clients begin to identify their needs and wants, matched by their capabilities. Getting your questions answered before a serious home search is the right way to start. Professional, independent representation is a serious benefit to buyers. So, contact me if you would rather be “consulted with rather than sold to” – the cost is the same (none, really), but the professional service you receive is truly different.
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