Peace, Love, & ChangingStreets.com

What a great sign off for StreetNews, and a good beginning note for Reba’s maiden voyage. I was going to start this column out by going into the different meanings of REBA and distinguishing myself from the other REBAs but I’ve changed directions just a bit. REBA (real estate bad a**) was originally coined to describe a broker who didn’t care whose toes he stepped on in his quest to right wrongs, do the right thing, make Flint (and the world) a better place and sell some cribs along the way. The term evolved to poke fun at ourselves and other Realtors, we even eventually changed the words around...(real estate belly acher, really eager buyer’s agent, some unrepeatables, etc. ) I really struggled to come up with one to describe this column, no luck, but I did run across a great quote, “From what we get, we can make a living; from what we give, however, makes a life.” It stopped me in my tracks because this is what I feel is at the core of any good Real Estate Agent. It’s definitely a driving force behind ChangingStreets.com. Of course we want to make money just like everyone else, but what we get a kick out of is putting someone into their dream home and starting them on the right path to the rest of their life. How fun is that? And that we get to earn a paycheck in doing so is fantastic! Let’s let that quote set the tone for REBA’s WORLD.

How do you know if you have a good Agent? She answers your phone calls and emails. Maybe not ALL of them because nothing has changed in the fifteen minutes since your last call! But she doesn’t leave you on your own for too long to worry about how things are progressing. She protects all the confidential information you share with her with regards to your finances, your needs and your specific situation, while negotiating for you the best price. She shows you houses on Sunday because it’s your only day off, and she even leaves the dinner table on Thursday night when you’ve stumbled upon the perfect house that you just must see at that moment because you’re sure it will be sold by morning! So… who is your Agent? Please don’t tell me you’re a REALTOR HOPPER!

If you are calling many different Realtors to see houses, you are not guaranteed proper representation. If you have not established some loyalty with a Realtor, do you expect all the good treatment mentioned above? Sure a good Realtor has interest beyond a paycheck in putting people in their dream homes, but should they neglect their own needs and needs of the family to answer the call of someone who sees her only as a door opener? No way! I’ll just say it… that way of thinking is simply inconsiderate and this REBA’s number one Resolution this year is to stop bending over backward for those inconsiderate shoppers. Did you like the Agent that showed you the last house you viewed? Then sign the darn Buyer’s Agency with her. Heck! Ask HER about it before she asks you. It will make her day! If you didn’t like the last Agent you met, move on! Call someone else. When you meet someone you enjoy looking at houses with, whose company you can stomach and with whom you can see yourself spending weeks shopping, digging through your finances, negotiating, and signing papers, stick with them. It will ensure a more pleasant experience.

Speaking of finances, talk to a loan officer before you start looking at houses. It protects everyone’s interest and time and it is REBA’s #2 Resolution… REQUIRE EVERY BUYER to be APPROVED before taking them shopping. I’m not the only one. It is so frustrating to do all the things we do, the showings, the weekends, the rearranging schedules only to find that our Buyer is either not able to be financed OR is shopping in the wrong price range. Guess what…. Everyone SAYS they have been approved already even if they have not. So PLEASE, talk to a loan officer to make sure. Need assistance? REBA can help you with that! She can help you find a good Realtor too!

That should do it for today. Things have really been popping lately so get your Excellent Agent and your Trusty Loan Officer and get going!