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I can show you
ANY property for sale in the Ponte Vedra Beach,
Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and the Jacksonville,
Florida areas!!
CONTACT ME
"How To Choose A REALTOR ®"
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Did you know that only 15% of all homes for sale are
advertised? That means that 85% of the homes for sale
are not in the home magazines or newspaper...but they
are on my website.
Not all agents or brokers are REALTORS ® --
there is a difference. Just having a real estate license
does not qualify one as being a REALTOR ®!
As a prerequisite to selling real estate, a person must
be licensed by the state in which they work, either as
an agent/salesperson or as a broker. Before a license is
issued, minimum standards for education, examinations
and experience, which are determined on a state by state
basis, must be met.
After receiving a real estate license, most agents go on
to join their local board or association of REALTORS
® and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ®,
the world's largest professional trade association. They
can then call themselves REALTORS.
The term "REALTOR ®" is a registered
collective membership mark that identifies a real estate
professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF REALTORS ® and subscribes to its strict Code
of Ethics (which in many cases goes beyond state law).
In most areas, it is the REALTOR ® who shares
information on the homes they are marketing, through a
Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Working with a REALTOR
® who belongs to an MLS will give you access to the
greatest number of homes.
Using an agent and the obligations that are owed to you,
an agent is bound by certain legal obligations.
Traditionally, these common-law obligations are to: Put
the client's interests above anyone else's; Keep the
client's information confidential; Obey the client's
lawful instructions; Report to the client anything that
would be useful; and Account to the client for any money
involved.
NOTE: A REALTOR ® is held to an even higher
standard of conduct under the NAR Code of Ethics. In
recent years, state laws have been passed setting up
various duties for different types of agents. As you
start working with a REALTOR ®, ask for a clear
explanation of your state's current regulations, so that
you will know where you stand on these important
matters.
The difference between a buyer's and a seller's broker:
Suppose you sign an offer to buy a home for $150,000 and
are not using a buyer's agent. You really want the
property and there's a chance other offers are coming
in, so you tell the broker that "We'll go up to
$160,000 if we have to. But of course don't tell that to
the seller." If you're dealing with a seller's
agent, he or she may be duty-bound to tell the seller
that important fact. In most states, the seller's agent
doesn't have any duty of confidentiality toward you.
Honest treatment might require that the agent warn you
that "I must convey to the seller anything that
would be useful so don't tell me anything you wouldn't
tell the seller."
TIP: If you're dealing with seller's agents, it is a
good idea to keep confidential information to yourself.
These days many home buyers prefer instead to hire a
buyer's broker, one who owes the full range of duties,
including confidentiality and obedience, to the buyer. A
buyer's broker is often paid by the seller, regardless
of the agency relationship but represent you, the buyer.
In making your decision to work with an agent, there are
certain questions you should ask when evaluating a
potential agent. The first question you should ask is
whether the agent is a REALTOR ®. You should
then ask:
Does the agent have an active real estate license in
good standing? To find this information, you can check
with your state's governing agency.
Does the agent belong to the Multiple Listing Service
(MLS) and/or a reliable online home buyer search
service? Multiple Listing Services are cooperative
information networks of REALTORS ® that provide
descriptions of most of the houses for sale in a
particular region.
Is real estate their full-time career?
What real estate designations does the agent hold?
Which party is he or she representing--you or the
seller? This discussion is supposed to occur early on,
at "first serious contact" with you. The agent
should discuss your state's particular definitions of
agency, so you'll know where you stand.
In exchange for your commitment, how will the agent help
you accomplish your goals?
Show you homes that meet your requirements and provide
you with a list of the properties he or she is showing
you?
For more information call me at 904-504-3115. |
