Jonathan Martin, Seattle Real Estate Agent

After my last post here is a comment I received from a Realtor.

I like to think that it's less about the area that I know but the fact that I know negotiation and contracts very well. On top of it, my clients are usually tech savvy and want someone that communicates in the way that they do. Having come from a technology background I am able to do just that. The majority of my business is in King County, but I also work in north Pierce County and south Snohomish.

This is EXACTLY what I have been talking about, the average real estate agent specializes in making the commission not serving their clients. Every real estate agent had better know the contracts and how to negotiate, that is a given. But to say that you don't need to know the area to best serve your clients is false.

I often hear that the value of a home (or any asset for that matter) is whatever a buyer is willing to pay for it. Real Estate Agents often use this to rationalize not knowing the area they are working in.

"If my buyers are willing to pay X for this property then that is what it is worth." NO, that is how the listing agent is supposed to think, Not the agent representing the buyer. A Salesperson has this definition of value, not an agent. And agent is someone who represents the interests of their principle, not a salesperson.

Are appraisers supposed to set the value of a home at whatever price an individual will pay for it? No, just because someone is willing to pay 500k for a 200k home doesn't mean that appraiser will value the home at 500k. Ok, sure there are appraisers who are just as unscrupulous as some realtors and lenders, but let's stick to what they are supposed to do. The value is what the home will sell for in a specific market not to a specific individual.

How can a real estate agent who hasn't walked the last 20 similar homes that have sold recently know what the value is? They can't! Sure they can come up with lots of great rational why they can: look at the MLS history, tax assessed value ratio, neighborhood analysis, Zillow, experience, technology, and of course the best "It is worth whatever their buyer is willing to pay."

Agents like this are a part(just a part) of the reason we are in the financial trouble we are in right now. They don't represent their clients, they just sell them what ever they can and for whatever price they will pay.

I refer people to agents who specialize in an area. Sure they may work with people outside of that area, but that is the exception not the norm. Buyers and Sellers need agents who know the local market and have walked the homes that have sold. It is the only way they can really understand the value of a home.

I know and work with local agents who specialize in an area and act like an agent is supposed to, they represent their principle YOU! If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Western Washington, let me help you find the right agent for you and the area you are looking in. Guide to Seattle Real Estate.

Ok so just how is this going to work?

Part of the reason I am phasing out of full time Real Estate is that I don't want to work with unscrupulous people. No not all agents and lenders are unscrupulous! But, unfortunately,I think there are more that are than not.

Just look at what attracts most people into the real estate industry. $$$$$$$$ Making money fast. People are lured into Real Estate thinking that they are going to make it rich. Brokers tell prospects about how much their top performers make to get them to sign up. Then over 90% of agents drop out in the first 2 years. It isn't all that easy to make a sustainable income. Being a great agent takes a lot of work, it definitely isn't a walk in the park.

I will admit that is what attracted me to the business. I thought that a flexible schedule and a decent income would allow my wife to stay home when we had kids and I could spend more time at home with them. I want to be really involved with my family. We had Callista a few months ago. She is a beautiful gift from God. Even her cry's and screams are cute. Real Estate Riches are made working long hours, nights and weekends. Not for the family man wanting to spend more time at home.

I have been double dipping for awhile now working for a marketing company in Auburn, more of a 9 to 5 gig. Working B2B is great, much less likely to be stuck working with those unscrupulous fellows. I want to keep what I like from the Real Estate Industry. I am going to reduce my night and weekend work and just refer clients to other great agents. One thing I have learned in the business is what smoke smells like. No matter where they try to blow it. This way I can send clients to agents who actually specialize in what they are looking for.

I've represented buyers, sellers, houses, townhouses, condos, Snohomish/King/Pierce counties, wherever there was a commission check I was. Sure I did my absolute best for every client that I had. But specialization has its benefits. There was no way I could've really known the inventory in Tacoma and Bellevue, only an agent that specialized there could. Someone who actually went on tour every week and saw every home that came on the market. Most agents are just like I was, they specialize in making the commission check. That is what brokers teach their agents to do. Make them money!

So instead of spending my time knocking on doors and sending out massive amounts of postcards, I am going to get to know great agents. This way I don't have to work with the unscrupulous ones, I can just say no. Then I can review these agents here on this Seattle Real Estate blog. I can talk about what they do great and only write about agents that I feel actually have their clients best interests in mind. No Smoke Allowed!

When I am approached by a person who is looking to find an agent I can then send them to the agent who will best serve them, not just someone chasing the commission check. Sure I wont make as much as a full time agent, but this is only a part time gig. I can focus my time on my family and working at my marketing gig. I can take what I love about real estate and help others at the same time, the best of both worlds.

Wish me luck as I figure out how all this is going to work.