7 questions all home buyers should ask a Realtor
Sunday, July 29th, 2007Below is a GREAT email we got from a prospective buyer considering using us as her Realtor. Below is her email with our responses - every buyer should be asking these questions!
1- Are you a full-time professional Realtor? How long have you been in the business?
RE #1. I am a full-time Broker (a Broker is the one who manages Realtors in an office). I am the owner of the company. We've been in business for 4 years and have been featured on the Discovery Channel, CNN, CNBC, etc. You can learn more about me at www.DanielOdio.com. Additionally, I often work in a team with 2 other very good Realtors, and the 3 of us would be working together to help you. One of the agents, Sue, is a Series 7 and CCIM designee, and has incredible analytical skills. She'll be able to help comp properties & strategize on offers. The other, Nick, is great with followup and will make sure we get every last question of yours answered. I will be the one you can call anytime; I'll be showing you houses and helping you craft an offer.
2- Do you specialize in Buyers , Sellers or both?
RE #2. Our business is 70% buyers. (We are very selective with the listings we take). We have a number of tools to help buyers with access to information. You might enjoy reading this whitepaper on why we started the company and also our "Buyer's Bill of Rights" that 99% of other Realtors can't match
3- How well do you know the Fairfax County area?
RE #3. Very well. I grew up in Herndon and went to Thomas Jefferson H.S. for Science & Technology in Alexandria, VA and graduated from The University of Virginia with a B.S. in Commerce.
4-How many clients do you typically represent at one time?
RE #4. We work differently than most firms. We give our clients access to information so they can "kick the tires" at their own pace without a Realtor breathing down their neck. During this period we're available to meet in person, or more likely to be available via phone & email (that's what people usually want). Then, when a client is ready to get serious, we jump in and start showing them houses. This works well for most buyers, and they appreciate having tools like www.ListingNotice.com , www.BirdsEyeSearch.com and www.TheBestHomeSearchEver.com available to them with no pressure to buy.
5-Do you have a Website ?
RE #5. Absolutely - www.DROdio.com
6-How will you get paid?
RE #6. Here's a great article we wrote up on just this topic
7-What are the benefits of buying a property with you? What top three things that separate you from your competition
RE #7. Hopefully you'll see from what we've written above that we approach real estate in an innovative way. But the absolute best thing to do would be for you to talk to some of very happy clients. I'd be happy to send you a few names if you'd like. I hope you'll also enjoy the 1 hour email response time to your question. We try to be very quick in responding.
Let me also say that I'm VERY impressed that you asked these questions. I've only had a handful of buyers ever ask them. Would you mind if I put your questions up on our FAQ site as an example of the types of questions all buyers should ask? I won't use your name in the posting.
