Real Estate Life

October 4, 2006

It is interesting to be a full-time real estate agent.  I meet so many types of people and of various nationalities - I seem to learn something from every one of them.  This is a very challenging business even though it may appear to be easy to many people.  Many agents are currently finding how difficult of a business it is are leaving the industry. 

Some days there are not enough hours and I get pulled many different directions.  When a potential buyer wants to view a property there are many items to do in advance.  Usually there has been a time-consuming search to find just the right properties that fit the criteria requested by the potential buyer.  One of the most important items after that is to get them pre-approved with a lender.  Once the potential buyer is ready to look I need to map the most direct route - call the listing agent to get input from them such as if there are any offers etc. on the property, then call the owner or resident to set-up the appointment.  Many times there are not lock boxes available for the property and a time must be coordinated with the listing agent.  It then becomes phone tag competition in getting the appointments set.  Showing five properties in one appointment is usually the most one should do.  Showing too many properties a buyer can become very tired and then it becomes difficult to remember everything about the properties they viewed that day.

There are so many factors and people and personalities involoved in each and every transaction.  It is imperative for me to keep up with the state law requirements, and those change regularly.

Keeping the transaction together for both of the parties involved, buyer and seller, is foremost.  As mentioned, I work in real estate full-time and in today’s business world I believe it is imperative to be practicing every day to keep-up with the continuous changes.

I get-a-kick out of some of the questions people ask i.e. “What’s the market going to do this next year?”  I wish I knew.  I usually end-up telling them that my crystal ball broke.  Working in the business every day gives me insight as to what the public is doing and thinking in regards to real estate.  I notice when there is more activity and how the negotiating is doing on other transactions.

The news media has continued to badger people saying that the real estate market is not good and it will crash or at least spiral way down.  I’m not seeing that - and when I discuss this with other agents they feel the same at this time as I do.  Currently, there is increased interest among buyers and as I experienced last week multiple offers were received on a property within hours of it coming on the market.  At the price-point in which it was listed, I didn’t expect that quick of a sale.  I do wish the news media would be more truthful and specific by stating that, yes, the market is slower, property is not selling as quickly as what we experienced the past few years and if you are planning on purchasing a property with the intention of re-selling it (flipping-it) short term, now is not the time to do it.

But for someone who is wanting to purchase a home for their personal use - this is the time.  Plenty of inventory to choose from and the best place in the World in which to buy - San Diego, California.

Posted in All Things San Diego, Real Estate