Agent Will

That headline ought to pull quite a few hits, probably a comment or two, and generate some interest.  Yup.

That’s the line often trumped by Realtors (Capital “R”, copyright, trademark, etc.) and it confuses a whole lot of the population out there.  I mean, how can it be both a great time to buy and to sell?  It can only be one, right?

Wrong.

You see, it depends on what your line of thinking is.  If you are thinking as an investor then you want just the one answer.  If you are thinking as prospective buyer or seller then you want both.  It all comes down to how you view the market and how you view realtors.  And, yes, their livelihood depends on liquidity in the marketplace.  No transactions, no dinner.  But don’t let that fool you into thinking conducting a transaction, be it buying or selling, is in any way unethical.

What is a Realtor?  A Realtor should be a combination of a salesperson and a marketing expert.  The job you hire them to do is to get you through the process of education, qualification, negotiation, and completion.  If you want to buy a home that is what you are looking for in a realtor is someone knowledgeable on your desired neighbourhood, competent in offer writing, skilled in negotiation, and capable to service your needs.  If you want to sell a home you need someone proactive in their marketing, with a demonstrable ability to get you more money on the sale (or sell it quickly on the best terms), skilled in negotiation, and one who can “seal the deal”.

A realtor is not a financial planner or someone who can see the future.  They do look out for your best interests on the deal you are looking for but they do not know you beyond what you tell them and they will not make up/change your mind for you.  A good realtor performs the job they are hired to do and does so in a manner that you would want to recommend them to your family and friends.

Realtors will always say it is a good time to buy.  Why?  Because if you were going to sell your home would you want a realtor who believed it was a terrible time to buy?  What kind of attitude is that?  Who then would they sell your home to?  Nope.  It is always a good time to buy* (*your personal circumstances and situation may vary the validity of that statement).  And if you want to buy home and your realtor steered you away telling you it was a bad time, well, if they were wrong that would not be good for you.

So it is a great time to buy.

With the declining market in many parts of the US many realtors are telling people not to sell if they do not have to.  Why?  Because that will just add to the listings pressure and push prices down further.  In my opinion that is just plain dumb.  Price anything right (for the market at the time and the foreseeable future) and it will sell.  Holding on in a declining market is a gamble which could hurt a whole lot more, just as holding off buying in a rising market may hurt more when you do eventually purchase.

So it is a great time to sell.

There are quite a few bearish blogs, forums, and sites out there that focus a lot of hate on realtors and I think it all comes down to misunderstanding what a realtor is.  There are also a lot of bad realtors out there who misunderstand what a realtor is.

I won’t tell you not to buy.  I won’t tell you not to sell.  You must ultimately make up your own mind whether it is a good time to buy or sell for yourself.  If you need a financial planner, I know a few.  Same goes for accountants.  If you need a seer, look in the yellowpages.

If you need your home sold, I’m your guy.  If you want to buy, I’m ready when you are.  If you’re not sure, give me a call and we’ll talk (after all, in real estate it is always personal)