A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A REALTOR
It seems an easy enough job. As an agent, your friend tells you about someone who is thinking about selling their house. You give them a call, stop in, and fill out a few forms. Or you spend the day touring beautiful homes with your friends until they find something they like. A short while later, your friend/customer buys a house and you make a commission that seems like a lot of money. The end. Not quite!
Most of us go to work and spend 40 hours more or less, earning our keep. Unless you're on the night shift, you report in the morning and leave late afternoon. You then go home and have dinner with family or friends or maybe run errands or shop. You work hard but within the confines of a schedule that allows for some sort of break in your work week. There is no such thing as a 40 hour work week for a busy agent. Real estate agents are on call 24/7. Why do they do this? For one thing, it's an emotionally satisfying profession and one that requires a considerable amount of skill. However, helping someone through the complicated process can be a lot of time consuming hard work.
Agents must successfully complete many hours of classes and continuing education on a number of subjects, from marketing to mortgage options. To represent you, they must earn a license and keep it current and up to date. Your Realtor must also keep abreast of the changes in the market such as interest rates and the ever changing variety of mortgage possibilities. These days, that's a tough job!
Because Realtors are self-employed, their out of pocket costs include cell phones, pagers, computers, web sites and other marketing tools. In order to travel to and from their listed property or if they are going to transport potential buyers, they need a dependable vehicle. And then there's the need to pay for or contribute to the cost for an office and desk space. All of this BEFORE ever making a sale or earning a commission.
A typical day will include tons of phone calls, some to prospects and many just answering questions, showing property, helping clients through the confusing process of obtaining a loan, explaining the many forms that have to be dealt with, helping a seller with ideas on how to 'stage' their home and assisting buyers by finding just the right home at an affordable price. Agents are usually required to do 'desk duty' for their broker as part of their shared office responsibility. This also adds to your Realtor's busy work week.
One of the most important services provided is helping with the closing. There are lots of important documents and you may feel as if you are signing your life away. Your real estate agent will be a valuable part of your team and can help with the process by asking the right questions and making sure this process goes smoothly. If you have chosen to have your lawyer present, your real estate agent will coordinate with them.
Real estate agents may not know all the answers but they are experts at knowing who to call for quick answers. Over the years, your Realtor has built a network of helpful people that are placed at your disposal. Realtors have a working knowledge of such diverse subjects as building codes, maintenance tips, decorating ideas, current mortgage rates and options plus neighborhood amenities. This is especially valuable whether you are moving cross country or just changing neighborhoods.
By the time the move is over, a good agent will feel like a part of your family -- and hopefully, will remain a friend for life.