Seems like everyone these days everyone has a blog. They are definitely all the rage. Well just like having a blog, during the heat of the real estate boom seems like everyone is a real estate agent too. Everyone knows someone that is an agent. Shamefully I admit in the state of Texas it is not that hard to get your license, but at least it is harder than setting up a blog (well for some). See more on Texas license requirements Well, it’s not terribly difficult to get a license. High school diploma and take a few classes and sit for an exam.
Next if you want to upgrade your real estate license to become a Realtor to use MLS and stuff you sign up promise to up hold Realtor code of ethics and pay your dues. Once you have your license and on your way to pay your dues you need a sponsor, a real estate broker, your sponsor is there to help you and be ultimately responsible for the contracts. So these brokers usually get a piece of every transaction. Places like Keller Williams and others have business cost the agents pay. Other brokers may have desk fees. Then with the emergence of discount brokers and brokers that only charge by transaction, therefore, you do nothing you pay nothing. So to get and hold a license and not do anything could cost you about $1000 a year, and if you really work at it maybe even be a lot less. And just like a lot of blogs out there lots of people have them yet seldom post, you could easily also have a license and not sell anything. Think about it that’s only three to five times as much as another one of those home based sell stuff businesses. But in this one you can even be lazier. For only one friend a year has to agree to give you a chance and it more than enough pays for it’s self. Not to mention the cool ness of saying you’re a Realtor over saying I sell this and that. I on the other hand have a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. Next, I spent five years consulting with Fortune 500 companies. Then I completed my Real Estate classes at University of Texas at Arlington. Next I successfully completed Keller Williams’ agent training. Most recently I graduated from Floyd Wickman’s Starmakers an intense agent training and known for forming top producers. I have chosen to join Keller Williams because of their high standards for their Realtors, and expect more than average from me and the other agents. This is a name I want to attach mine to and I pay a high price for that connection, mentoring and helps get the houses sold too.Ok, now enough about tell you how easy it is to become one, and tell you how hard it is to be a real Realtor. To be a Realtor for a living is tough. First, everyday you have to go out and fight stereotypes. With everyone being a real estate agent and some with might I say very low standards for service, I have to explain what a real Realtor should be doing for you. Secondly, to charge a livable wage because almost every brother, sister, friend that just needs one home to pay for the minimum amount of training and services will do it for 1% or the agent deals in volume not quality.
Lastly, do the right thing. If you take your time listen to the home buyer/seller understand their needs, wants and dreams. I can help them find or sell their home. But the average agent these agents that have taken all the short cuts on their training you can only expect them to take short cuts on you too. But come on is that what you really want. These agents let you boss them around, and are your glorified assistant to sell or buy your home. But if you were going to do that, you might as well do by owner and hire an assistant. Sellers, you want to list it to for too much, so if you hire one of these you may not sell at all (that would be a waste of time and energy) Buyers, you want to see every house on the market before you pick one (whoa, at $3.oo a gallon that’s going to cost somebody)

Don’t just read any blog, and don’t just hire any agent. In this blog you will read more about me, an agent that is trying to be a Great Agent, what I am trying to do, classes I am taking and what I have been doing to raise the public’s standard for what they expect in an agent. Maybe my next post won’t be as long.

-Lee

Tags: Real Estate blogs

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 at 10:44 pm and is filed under It's all about me. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.