Well, unfortunately…..a lot of them are!  There are good ones out there though.  Ones I respect.  Ones that I would use if I wasn’t a realtor.

I think if I wasn’t a realtor, or were buying/selling somewhere that I knew nothing about, maybe a beach house for my wife Rhonda, I would get somebody that does it full time.  I would really want somebody that is at least knee deep in it everyday.  How else are they going to know if I am paying too much?  If the neighborhood I picked is losing value?  How are they going to know how my house compares to others if they haven’t been in any similar ones?

Then, I’d want somebody who could save me time.  I’d want somebody that would check the satellite view to see how the house sits on the lot or if it backs to a busy road.  I don’t want to take the time to go see a house, and know as soon as I pull in the driveway that I don’t want it.

I’d want somebody accessible.  They’d have to text.  They’d have to respond to my e-mails quickly.

And of course, they have to know how to negotiate.  None of the time I put into it is worth anything if I can’t get the house I want!  They’d have to know that there is more to negotiating than just the price.  Inspections, closing date…..there are a lot of secondary items that can make other terms more palatable for both parties.

So if I ever do get to buy Rhonda that beach home, that is the type of agent I will be looking to find.