My experience in this industry is that nearly 75% of agents do not own their own home (I can't believe someone would sell a product that they have never purchased or a service that they have never experienced).  Some more shocking statistics.... there are over 40,000 licensed agents in Washington State and nearly an 80% turn over rate.

Some questions to ask your real estate professional: 1. Do you own your own home? 2. How long have you been an agent? in the business? 3. What experience do you have with (insert the type of transaction you are looking for here)? 4. What resources will you provide me with (referals, websites, etc)? 5. How do you market/search for your clients? 6. How often will we communicate during the transaction? 7. Have you ever been fined for your actions as a real estate professional? 8. What accredidations do you hold (associations, milestones, awards, etc)? 9. Do you have listing input access (this is important for sellers because if the agent, I mean when the agent, makes a mistake, how quickly can it get fixed and not all agents have access so they have to wait for someone else to do it for them). 10. Are you a full time agent (most work other jobs- car sales, retail, etc) 11. Why should I choose to work with you?

In a recent survey, almost 80% of people nationwide use the internet to research real estate before they contact an agent.  Most real estate websites are marketing tools for agents and you do not get a choice in which agent to work with (if you don't choose the one that contacted you, you will be spammed until you cancel your email account).  Here is the public access to the MLS (no agent banners, no contact info, no spam, no creating accounts, etc): www.nwrealestate.com

I am constantly looking at the newest trend in real estate marketing for my clients.  My present experience is that the subscription site for brokers is the best way to market or shop for property.  Craigslist is a close second and helps get the word out to those 80% mentioned earlier.  There are several other ways to search for property and I try to search a very broad range of sources to find the best deal for you.

I also provide my investor clients with an updated list of properties available for auction in the specified county that they are interested in.  These lists come weekly and typically give you notice sixty days before the auction date.  I can also set you up for updates on HUD homes.  My company also has property management and can assist with your rental needs.

Any "gifts" that I receive for our transaction will be given to you (I will not return the gifts you give me, should you feel my service warrants a thank you gift).  I make sure that the people that I work with in this industry do not give kick backs as I think those fees should be applied to your transaction to give you a better deal.  In other words, if a seller's agent gave me a gift card for submitting an offer on the property, I would give you that gift card.  I will also provide you with the estimated amount that I will receive for our transaction (if you are selling property, I will give you an estimate cost to sell the property or net proceeds-how much you are going to put in your bank account).

I think your real estate broker should be honest, sincere and have a work ethic as high as your own or higher.


I look forward to helping you with all of your real estate needs!