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| DEAR DAVE - Advice for buyers and sellers | "HOUSTON'S BEST ONLINE REALTOR®" |
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What to look for in a Realtor® First and foremost, look for a long-term professional familiar with the area where you live (for instance, in my case, I've worked the FM 1960 / Northwest / Compaq area of Harris County for 15+ years.) You should also insist that the person be a genuine Realtor®, which assures you that the person has committed to a strict professional ethics standard and is a member of the National Association of Realtors® (the word Realtor® is a registered trademark of the N.A.R.) Many agents are also members of the State & Local Associations of Realtors®(in my case, the Texas Association of Realtors® as well as the Houston Association of Realtors®.) 
An absolute must is that the Realtor® subscribes to the local computerized Multiple Listing Service (MLS) so that your property is exposed to the maximum number of potential buyers.The Realtor® should also offer a variety of other promotional tools as well. Examples of this would be: an effective Web site; television advertising; local newspaper ads; and professional looking yard signs showing how to easily contact the listing agent. Another tool which may be effective is for the seller to offer a potential buyer a home warranty covering major systems of the home for, usually, a one-year period. You should also look for an agent that can "personally" screen most of the showings of your property. This allows the agent to be up-to-date on showing activity, mention special features of the home to showing agents and give an opportunity for more agent/seller communication. Lastly, you should look for a Realtor® with a strong background in both education and experience which lends itself to successful marketing, negotiating, and most importantly, securing the sale of your property. |
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©Copyright 1997-2002 Dave Lockwood B.S./B.A.-M.B.A. All rights reserved.