What makes an agent truly valuable? Clients get a competitive edge

 

HONOLULU ADVERTISER , October 09 2005

BY LISA SCONTRAS

Custom Publishing Group

 

The average homebuyer looks at between five and 15 homes before deciding which one to buy. But all too often, a buyer doesn’t spend enough time looking for the “best” Realtor to negotiate for them and advise them —which can end up costing time and money.

 

Here is a list of skills and traits to shop for when choosing a Realtor:

 

1. Market knowledge.

 

“That’s one of those things Realtors do that you maybe don’t think about,” says Tiare Ti‘aturi, who has bought and sold eight homes in her lifetime. “They go out on their own and look at property after property so that when they take out clients, they know exactly where to take them and you don’t have to go all over the place.”

 

A good Realtor also knows the history of price trends in your neighborhood of interest, as well as what has or has not sold and why.

 

2. Good listener

 

According to the National Association of Realtors, the mark of a good agent is one who will listen to your needs and will only show you homes that meet your criteria.

 

3. Excellent negotiator

 

Pick an agent with good negotiating skills who will drive the best bargain on your behalf. An experienced agent will know how to walk that fine line between driving a hard bargain and when a counteroffer has the best chance of being accepted.

 

4. Imaginative, problem solver

 

Ti‘aturi recalls how her agent, Michael DeMello of Prudential Locations, got creative when there were no listings available where she wanted to buy.

 

“He made a list of all the places I wanted to live and then he wrote letters to the owners,” says Ti‘aturi, who ranks DeMello as one of the best Realtors she’s ever worked with. “One seller was contemplating moving anyway, but it wasn’t until he got the letter from Mike that he decided to sell. Mike took me right over there and I loved it.”

 

5. Trustworthy

 

“Knowledge of inventory and market conditions tops the list, but right up there with that is being trustworthy,” says another of DeMello’s clients, California investor Michael del Rosario.

 

Together with his wife, del Rosario began investing in property in Hawaii two years ago when — compared to prices in California — “the market seemed right.” They purchased three properties in two years from DeMello with the most recent one closing this week.

 

“This last property we bought from Mike, we bought from some photos he sent us,” said del Rosario, who thinks Hawaii will be a great place to retire someday. “We trust his judgment I know what he says, he can deliver.”

 

Buyers and sellers will clearly have the competitive edge when their Realtor has a proven track record of integrity and professionalism. Once you find an agent, ask for a list of past customers you can contact for a reference — then listen carefully to what they say.

 

“A good Realtor knows all kinds of things that you would never think of,” says Ti‘aturi. “They make it seem easy.”

 

 

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