How to choose a Real Estate Company and Agent
 

• Real Estate is local, advertising is global. Choosing a Real Estate Company is not nearly as important as choosing a Real Estate Agent.  However, there are a few basic things to check for; 1. The company has been in business in the local area for a number of years. 2. All Real Estate Brokers are required to have a physical office address. 3. The agent Name, Company name or DBA should appear here.

• Agents are on their own; did you know Real Estate Companies like REMAX, Pruitt and ERA and most others have no Real Estate Agents that work for them in most offices. That's right, Real Estate agents do not work for Brokers, they are not paid a salary, they are on their own, they only keep a port on the sales commission on what they sell. In fact the Realtors pay Remax, Pruitt or ERA to use their name. I've worked for Remax and Coldwell Banker, they provided me no support, and yes I had to pay them to use their name.
  
  So what's the big hype with franchises; there is one thing  that Remax, Pruitt and ERA provide that can be beneficial to you as a buyer or seller and to me as a Realtor and that is advertising. These companies spend millions of dollars on TV ads to drive buyers and sellers to their websites. So what I've done is figure out a way to get their advertising without working under their name or paying the franchise fees. That's right, I will list your property on Remax.com, PruittRealEstate.com and ERAShowcase.com.

• If you are a buyer there is really no difference in real estate companies, only agents. You want agent that will make sure you get recently sold homes report and any other information you need about the home/area you are purchasing in, as well as a home warranty.

• Sellers, choose a Realtor that has the time to work your listing. A Realtor with 25+ listings will not likely have time to property work your listing, usually they may have an assistant check on it.

• Sellers, choose a Realtor that does more than put your home on the local MLS. My advertising package includes 4 Major Real Estate Companies and a huge list of media sources that span the globe.

• Buyer & Sellers; choose and agent that is technically savvy, much of today's business is conducted electronically and Real Estate is no different. Agents should have good skills in office software, website design/editing, digital media, digital advertising, email, cell, PDA/Black Berry and of course customer relations.

See all my marketing systems at http://scottsadlon.com/why.html