Being a real estate agent means you’ve got to know more than just houses. Of course, a big part of the job is knowing about square footage and hot water heaters and whether or not wood siding rots but at the end of the day it’s the whole package you’re selling people.
I had to learn the hard way that when someone asks you about the school district or the ElectricCompaniesTexas in the area when they’re looking at a home to buy and you don’t know the answer, you’ll look like you’re not very good at your job. My agency has been really good about staying on us to get continued education and they’re always setting up seminars and stuff to teach us about anything going on in town – new parks, new tax setups, things like that. It’s up to me, though, to know who can provide cable to any given street and whether or not it’s necessary to get an inspection on a foreclosure.
Nowadays since it’s so easy to just get online and look at the homes available in your area people don’t need real estate agents like they once did. If you’re paying for my services you’re paying for my expertise as much as you are my listing tools and I take that responsibility to my clients seriously. I wouldn’t want to go to my doctor, ask him about a new drug and have him tell me he’s never heard of it, you know?
I think it’s crazy people try to buy a house without the guidance of a Realtor but I guess I understand. In this market anywhere you can save a buck it makes sense to at least consider it.
Things are picking up for me, though, and that’s good because these last couple of years have been a killer in this down economy! I’ll be glad when people are buying again once and for all.
