| US News & World Reports asked me for advice on selecting a real estate agent. My favorite quotes from the article: COMMUNICATION: Communication is especially important for buyers house-hunting from afar. Chan has clients in London or Asia who communicate with him via Gchat or FaceTime. He’ll also record tours of potential properties and upload the videos to YouTube with a private link. POINT OF CONTACT: Also ask who will be your main point of contact, because some busy real estate agents use a team of assistants or sub-agents to handle day-to-day tasks, and you may not have direct access to the agent you choose. "Maybe some people don't care, but I think that's an important question to ask," Chan says. FOLLOW YOUR GUT These questions can help you get a sense of the agent’s process and personality, but the right decision may depend on your instinctive reaction. "Follow your intuition," Chan says. "If they feel too slick, it's not a good sign. It’s a good sign when you find an agent who can tell it like it is." |
Add Comment  Money Under 30 has a great article for people looking to jump on the real estate band wagon. Good luck!! If you’ve been considering a new career or starting a side hustle to earn extra money, perhaps you’ve thought about becoming a real estate agent. Being a Realtor is great if you like houses and enjoy working with people, but it’s not always the dream job some imagine it to be. It’s a common misconception that real estate agents earn a ton of money for doing practically nothing. Selling real estate is more work that you might imagine and, although there are some very successful real estate agents, there are many who struggle just to make ends meet. From somebody in the business, here’s what it takes to become a real estate agent — and what you should consider before starting down the path to selling homes. Do you have the time and cash to get licensed? Where will you work? Can you afford the start-up expenses? How are your boundaries? Okay, so how much can I earn as a real estate agent? Can I really sell real estate part-time? CLICK READ MORE LINK ON THE RIGHT FOR THE ANSWERS. Or this link!  7 Homebuying Mistakes to Avoid: If you’re on the housing search, sidestep these homebuyer pitfalls -by Susan Johnston for Us News & World Report "For most people, a home is the largest purchase they’ll ever make, so choosing the wrong property can have disastrous implications for their wallets and well-being. Still, many homeowners feel a strong sense of pride in putting their mark on the property, building equity and having a place to truly call their own. Whether you’re a seasoned or first-time buyer, here’s a look at seven homebuying mistakes to avoid. 1. Using the wrong real estate agent. Just because your sister’s college roommate’s friend just got a real estate license doesn’t mean she’s the right agent for you. San Francisco real estate agent Herman Chan suggests vetting agents and looking for someone who does real estate full time and knows the local inventory. “You can lose an offer if you’re not responsive in a couple of hours,” he says. Request the agent’s sales data, and find out how he or she communicates. Chan recommends asking questions like these to gauge the agent’s tech-savyness: “Is it OK if I text you? Is it OK to DocuSign things? If I can’t make an open house on Sunday, can you shoot me a video?” If you prefer to check texts and emails on your phone, you may not want an agent who insists on faxing contracts. 2. Shopping before you get preapproved. Before you get serious about buying real estate, find out how much mortgage you qualify for and get a preapproval letter from your lender. “If you fall in love [with a property], write that offer and then find out you can’t afford it, it’s an emotional roller coaster you can’t afford,” Chan says. Many agents won’t even take buyers to showings until they have a preapproval letter for that very reason. Read the other 5 tips here! You might remember I posted this fantastical image on my Instagram (@hermanity) of the Docusign office in San Francisco earlier this month. I can now reveal Docusign invited me to their swank new San Francisco HQ to chat about how I use Docusign , especially with Google Drive. The feature just went live on their site! Check it out! Seriously folks, if your Realtor doesn't offer Docusign to you, they are doing you wrong! It'll change your life. When they need your signature ASAP (which is like always!), no more scrambling around for a printer, finding a scanner, or god forbid using a fax! It's all electronic, paperless & mobile!
Spring season is around the corner! If you are an owner, you what that means: you are thinking of putting your home on the market. But before you do , check out my tips on Bankrate.com! Avoid those costly boo-boo's before taking to a Realtor. From Bankrate.com 
 Chinese buyers are taking over the world. Just check out the billionaire demographic. Asia is off the charts! Meanwhile, rich folk in Europe are dwindling (probably fleeing, especially in France where they have 75% tax on affluent people) Here's a tongue in cheek article I penned for Asian Real Estate Magazine that's worth reading if you are gonna take on Asian clients! Enjoy! I started Habitat For Hermanity as a videoblog years ago, so I love sharing how video is not only a great brand builder for agents but it's what consumers expect now! 73% of consumers say they prefer agents who use video. Shocker: Only 1 in 10 agents have a youtube account!  | As Seen On
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