Buyers, sellers appreciate their REALTORS®

The majority of home buyers and sellers are sold on the skill and effort provided by their REALTORS® in making a transaction a reality, according to recent independent national surveys.

Nearly eight out of 10 consumers believe real estate brokers and sales associates can show buyers a better selection of homes than they can find on their own.

Seventy-eight percent of the general public believes real estate professionals offer them a broader selection of housing alternatives than they would otherwise find.

Seventy-four percent agree that using a real estate broker saves time and 70 percent agree that real estate professionals make buying or selling a home much easier. These are not surprising numbers.

REALTORS® have to be efficient or they probably won’t be in business. Real estate is one of the few professions that offer complete services including time, travel, study, searches for properties, counseling of clients, licenses, fees, etc., without receiving one single dime unless a property is sold. They have to perform.

In another independent survey of more than 1,000 buyers and sellers, most respondents (82 percent) were satisfied with their real estate brokers and sales associates, and a majority (77 percent) of the sellers felt that the commission they paid their broker was “money well spent.”

The survey also found that the majority of buyers and sellers (64) percent) were satisfied with the amount of time the process took, and most sellers (87 percent) will use a real estate professional again next time they sell a home. Most of these statistics are just good common sense.

Real estate, along with every other facet of life, has become increasingly complex. A hand shake with a buyer or seller used to seal many deals in the past. Today, buying or selling a home can be a complicated business. There’s not any easy way today to evaluate property and possess the ability to successfully run the gauntlet of required forms, laws, marketing, negotiating, financing, appraising, and advising with up-to-date data unless one is a full-time REALTOR®.

The REALTOR® is often the glue holding all parties and the transaction together. While there are plenty of real estate professionals to choose from, the best bet in terms of ethical, efficient and reliable service is a REALTOR®. More than a million active real estate licensees nationwide belong to the National Association of REALTORS®, entitling them to use the registered mark after their name. That’s the REALTOR “®.”

Unlike many real estate practitioners who are licensed by their state to do business, REALTORS® have taken additional steps to become members of the Washington State and Spokane Association of REALTORS®. They also have agreed to act under and subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics. This membership obligates them to be honest will all parties involved in a transaction, be it buyer, seller or cooperating agent.

Real estate is not an easy business. The hours are usually long. REALTORS® are working when most people are not — evenings, weekends, etc. A lot of effort goes into being a successful REALTOR®. And the bottom line is — they do not get paid unless there is a sale.

Of course, there are also the smiles of happiness on the faces of both buyer and seller when a good transaction happens. To many, that’s terrific added compensation for a job well done.