Missoula, Montana Flat Fee MLS

Residents of Western Montana aggressively look for cost-savings in the sale of their homes. Because of the obvious appeal of the area, the presence of the University of Montana, thriving arts and cultural scene and dramatic scenery, the Garden City has been growing for some time. Putting aside the national credit market meltdown which began in 2007, Missoula real estate seemed to be for some time selling itself, and the steep fees associated with selling it did not seem to make sense for many sellers. The market has shifted to a buyer's market, and it has become more apparent that the main driver of sales is price rather than fancy marketing brochures, open houses, or agent caravans.

Buyers are shopping for homes today, they just want to feel they are getting a reasonably good deal. Many people were burned buying homes in the easy-credit, no money down days of the mid-2000's, and declining property values affected many people's view of real estate. After all, many people bought homes not only based on buying a place to live, but also based on the fact that they thought the purchase was a reasonably good investment. They had heard real estate agents tell them that historically houses had appreciated at some particular rate or had doubled every certain number of years. People are now looking at houses more as a place to live then as a lottery ticket.

So price is hugely important in selling your home. It is important, however, for the market to know that your house is available for sale. People moving to Western Montana from, for instance, Seattle or Billings, are not going to drive around the city looking for 'For Sale' signs and writing down the address and property details on every thing they can find. Even someone in Missoula moving from one house to another are not going to do this. They want a database of homes that lists everything available for sale, everything already under contract, as well as information about recently sold properties. This database is the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). But don't you have to list your property with a traditional Realtor to have your property placed in the MLS? Doesn't this mean you will have to pay a steep commission to this person at closing? The answer for both questions is, "No," as a new type of real estate broker has emerged in recent years.

Flat fee MLS brokers list properties in the MLS for a small upfront fee and forego any commission at closing. Initially, there were only a few of these brokers in major cities around the country. Increasingly, a few brokers do offer this service in places like Billings and Missoula. Sellers are utilizing these services as a hybrid between selling 'For Sale By Owner' and listing with a traditional broker. Flat fee MLS programs appeal to sellers because they have exposure to unrepresented buyers that are driving around or browsing numerous Internet sites like Realtor.com and others, as well as buyers using the services of a buyer's agent.

About the Author: Donald Plunkett is a Montana licensed real estate broker offering flat fee MLS listings. He is a member of the Missoula Association of Realtors' MLS system. More info: http://www.congressrealty.com/Montana

Everything About Realtors

So far in the USA, only real estate agents, which are members of NAR (National Association of Realtors) have got the right of naming themselves Realtors. Of course many other licensed practicants in real estate business may introduce themselves as Realtors, but the truth is, they are only using this term to impress the public's opinion about their whole activity as real estate agents, and they hope gathering as many clients as possible, so that the entire real estate business should keep going on. In this case they are kind of "fake Realtors", because this title, of realtor is very hard to be obtained.

Realtors, belonging to NAR, are diplomatically obliged to use and respect an entire list of rules regarding ethics. Before any real estate agent becomes a realtor, that is a member of NAR, he has to sign a legal document in which he promises that during any real estate transaction, he will remain honest and loyal, not only to his clients, but to his colleagues as well.

Any realtor, during the negotiations process, has the right to represent either the buyer's or seller's interests for a real estate property. As the ethics code demands it, he has to protect his client's interests at any time but he also has to act legally and pay respect to the other side as well. These objectives can be accomplished using a diplomatic and professional real estate negotiation process, without exaggeration or false statements of true facts. All closed real estate negotiations must be transparent, as Realtors ethics code demands it.

Realtors knowledge in real estate business is pure gold, because they know precisely how the entire process works, what real estate auctions are interested in promoting, how to deal with legal formalities in a real estate transaction, and what is best for their client. Realtors also have the ability to evaluate a real estate property value, and they always monitor the real estate market place and know exactly, when the perfect moment for selling or buying a property arrives.

Finding a realtor is not a complicated objective anymore, because of the Internet's great expansion. Specialized real estate websites, generally have real estate properties listings, and also list with Realtors in a certain area.

NAR (National Association of Realtors) is one of the largest and powerful organizations existing in North America, among others, being specialized in real estate business domain. Its evolution is remarkable, as in 2006, there were approximately 1 million members inside the organization, and today their number is still climbing, fact which only indicates a positive evolution of this society. It seems that people need Realtors now more than ever, in order to close a perfect real estate transaction, weather is it a commercial real estate transaction, industrial real estate transaction or even a simple building transaction.

Their society contains, as others, many specialized members, ranging from real estate agents, brokers, economists, managers, counselors, architects etc. Moreover, you need to understand that NAR governs the other lets say "small" real estate agents, monitors the well development of any real estate business in their jurisdiction, and makes sure that not only Realtors, but real estate agents, buyers and sellers as well, respect the ethics code. Most of the times, even experienced real estate agents, sometimes ask advice from a realtor, concerning pricing matters, or even ask opinions about a certain real estate property. Sometimes they also need a realtor to anticipate the evolution of the real estate market place, or evaluate a certain real estate property's value.

As far as taxes are concerned, it is well known that as a real estate agent, a realtor has his fee in a real estate successful transaction, but not only, because his job, as a real estate agent is to gather information about the client's building, evaluate the property, even participate to real estate auctions to see the new clients desires in real estates, to get a clue where the real estate investment is heading to, and finally make a plan of selling or buying what his clients want. And all these jobs must also be paid, so all in all, a realtor's fee is not accessible for everybody.

For more details and real estate news go to my web page http://www.modfind.com, which is specialized in real estate business.

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The Secret to Creating Powerful Affirmations That Really Work

Using daily affirmations is a time-tested way to create meaningful and lasting changes in your life, but unless you have crafted your affirmations properly you might not be getting the results that you expected. Unless you know the secret behind creating powerful affirmations, you may be wasting your time and energy. Fortunately, you can avoid this pitfall by learning how to create affirmations that do work, affirmations that help you manifest the changes that you desire.

The problem begins because affirmations are often confused with things like goal lists, dream cards, vision boards, and other great methods of making positive statements about your goals and dreams. These are all great tools that you should include in your SELF growth toolbox, but affirmations are about much more than the things that you wish to attract into your life.

Much more!

To use affirmations effectively, you must understand that In order to manifest something, or to bring it into your life, you must first change yourself into the kind of person that would be able to own or experience whatever it is that you want. Until you become that kind of a person you will be unable to create lasting changes in your life.

This is the secret behind affirmations that is often overlooked by many people when they first learn about this wonderful tool. Affirmations are not about the things that you want, affirmations are about the kind of person that you want to become. Understanding this important difference can help you get the maximum benefit from your daily affirmation practice.

Take losing weight for example. In order to lose weight, you must 'become' a person who has lost weight. Ask yourself, what types of thoughts a person who has lost weight thinks. What types of beliefs do they hold?? What kinds of actions do they take? A person who has lost weight probably holds different thoughts and beliefs, and takes different actions when it comes to food and eating and weight, than someone who is struggling to get rid of those extra pounds.

Creating wealth works in the same way. In order to become wealthy, you must 'become' a person who has gained wealth. A wealthy person has different thoughts about money, debt, and investing than you might have if your are struggling with money right now. A wealthy person thinks about money differently. Wealthy people have developed certain straits and habits that you need to copy and develop in yourself. Ask yourself what those traits and habits are. Write them down.

Your answers to these questions will lead you to discover which of these traits and qualities that you need to develop in yourself. You can now use those traits and qualities as the basis of your daily affirmations.

Here is the bottom line, easy as pie, simple rule for creating affirmations: Concentrate on who you want to become, not on what you want.

Apply this simple secret to your affirmations and you will begin seeing a remarkable change in the results that you are getting.

If you would like to learn more about attracting success and how you can learn to manifest your dreams into reality I invite you to grab your free copy of the ultimate manifesting ebook right now at http://www.bobcrawfordonline.com Click right now and you can start creating the life of your dreams today!

Established Neighborhoods in James Island, SC

James Island is one of the most popular areas to live in Charleston, SC. While some buyers want newer homes, many buyers seek older homes for the larger lots and the brick exteriors. On James Island, you'll find these two features more in the older homes than the newer homes.

The majority of residential communities in this area are older, established neighborhoods. So, you'll find quite a few to choose from. We've included some of the more popular established communities on James Island below.

Riverland Terrace is a marshfront community that overlooks John's Island. Many buyers like this community because it's within walking distance of the Charleston Municipal Golf Course on James Island. Many of these homes are small and cottage-like, which means low square footage but those great architectural details that you won't find in new construction for the same price! Riverland Terrace has a very wide price range, with current prices going from $190,000 to $2.3 Million.

Harbor Woods has larger homes with a variety of styles. Some of these have been renovated, but many have outdated kitchens and baths. For the most part, though the renovations needed would be cosmetic. Since many home buyers look for homes that need some work, I wanted to make sure to include this neighborhood in the list. Right now prices in Harbor Woods are from about $300,000 to $490,000.

Fort Johnson Estates is a pretty large neighborhood, so you'll almost always come across it your search results. These are mostly brick ranch style houses, so there is not as much variety in the home selection. However, it's a popular established community in this area. Prices right now range from $260,000 to $430,000.

Stiles Point Plantation is more expensive, with current prices from 460,000 to 675,000. These houses are generally quite large - some are 3,000+ square feet. Stiles Point is also a little newer, with most of the homes being built in the 1980s and 1990s. Lot sizes in this community are quite large for James Island. You'll find many homes with over half an acre lot size.

Looking for Charleston SC homes? Lee Keadle can help you find the home you need! On his website you can search Mt. Pleasant home listings plus listings for all 6 Charleston beaches!

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Lies Realtors Tell - Ten of Their Favorites

Realtors are agents of sellers. It is their job to obtain the highest possible sale price for a piece of real estate. By law they cannot misrepresent any facts about the property, but when it comes to opinions about the investment potential of the property, or the state of the real estate market, Realtors can say whatever they want. There is currently no restriction on the exaggerations or outright lies realtors are allowed to tell regarding residential real estate market performance.

The most common ploy realtors use it to attempt to create a sense of urgency in a buyer. In a seller's market, prices are rising, and buyers already feel a sense of urgency. In a buyer's market, prices are falling, and there is no urgency on the part of buyers. This fact does not stop Realtor from trying to create urgency even if the truth is cast asunder.

The most counter-intuitive part of buying in a buyer's market is to create a sense of urgency with the seller. Ordinarily sellers, or more accurately the seller's realtor, try to create a sense of urgency to buy the house. They want the buyer to think other people are looking, there is going to be a bidding war, and the buyer needs to get an offer in today. Realtors thrive by creating fear in buyers. They will use lines like:

1. It is a good time to buy!
2. Hurry. This one won't last.
3. Don't throw away your money on rent.
4. If you are serious, you had better buy now or you might be priced out of the market.
5. They are not making land anymore.
6. Rates are creeping up, so you better get in now.
7. This property is priced at below market value.
8. I will show my client the offer, but I just want to let you know that we have another offer for more coming in this afternoon.
9. Trust me.
10. It's not just the commission. I really care about you.

In a buyer's market these ploys are all lies (the truthfulness of these statements is questionable in all market conditions). Generally, the buyer is the only prospective buyer, and they can take as long as they want to buy the house. The buyer's task in negotiating is to create a sense of urgency and panic in the seller. This is why buyers should make their first offer their best offer.

When people were watching prices rise during the housing bubble, they felt a heightened sense of urgency to buy. This made many potential buyers even more gullible with respect to the nonsense realtors peddle. Perhaps in the future, people will be wiser to these ploys. Either that, or realtors will become even more vociferous in defending them...

Lawrence Roberts is the author of The Great Housing Bubble: Why Did House Prices Fall?

Learn more and get FREE eBooks at: http://www.thegreathousingbubble.com/

Read the author's daily dispatches at The Irvine Housing Blog: http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/

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Colorado Country Realty - Real Estate Redefined

Colorado Real Estate - Find the Best Deals Online

The beautiful setting of Colorado offers a number of advantages to those who are planning to buy properties in the area. It's capital, Denver, alone features amenities and places ideal for biking, hiking and other fun outdoor activities. There are many prime real estate in Colorado such as Highlands Ranch real estate, Parker real estate, Littleton real estate, Castle Rock real estate, The Pinery real estate and Aurora real estate. Colorado may be a nature lover's paradise but even those who are not outdoorsy will appreciate the many recreational opportunities that Colorado offers.

The days in Colorado are characterized by sunny skies while the evenings bring refreshing cool breezes. There are many things to do in Colorado even at night thanks to the lively nightlife of Denver. The city of Denver is home to many bars, clubs, restaurants and cafes and even casinos that will make even the most jaded nocturnal creature happy.

Colorado is also a family-friendly place with its numerous malls, sidewalk cafes and child-friendly recreational facilities. Colorado is a curious mixture of the old and the new where you can see modern commercial establishments side by side with museums and old buildings. Colorado is also known for its festivals and other cultural activities and of course friendly people.

Colorado is one of the few places in the United States right now that is experiencing a real estate boom. The new residential and commercial structures being built in the area are proof of the lively and exciting real estate atmosphere of the place. Modern facilities, excellent recreational centers, established institutions, business opportunities, low crime rate and friendly residents are some of the contributing factors to the real estate boom.

But of course, a major attraction of Colorado is the Rocky Mountains along with its numerous ski resorts. The Rockies have made Colorado a hot spot and a most sought after location for family vacation homes.

One of the things that surprises most people is that properties in Colorado are actually affordable. To get the best deal if you are planning to buy Colorado real estate is to ask the advice of a real estate broker. Looking for Denver realtor or a Highland Ranch realtor or a Parker realtor is now easy thanks to the Internet. One reliable real estate group that you can find online is Colorado Country Real Estate which you can visit at http://www.coloradocoutryrealty.com Whether you are buying a home or planning to sell your home, Colorado Country can assist you for all your real estate needs.

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10 Ways Home Sellers Screw-Up Their Home Sale

Selling your home is not a science but there are some standards that should always be maintained. For some reason sellers can get in the way of their own sale and mess it all up. Some sellers can't understand why real estate agents ask them not to be present during showings. Buyers are not too interested in hearing the gory details of how little Johnny killed the cat in the dryer or any other wonderful stories.

1.When you hire a real estate agent to market your home, you interviewed 2 or 3 agents and picked the best, now let them do their job. Of course the owner can sell the home they know every little thing that any new homeowner would want to know and they want to tell them. Please be quite or better yet go for a walk when buyers come to see your home.

2.Canceling and not allowing showings or setting rules for showing times that prevent buyers from seeing the home. No showings on weekends, 48 hour notice no exceptions or listing agent must be present for all showings. These things may be convenient for the seller but are red flags for any buyer agent they just won't show the home at all.

3.Holding off the photographer and visual tour photographer because you are not ready or the house is not ready. Your listing depends on pictures and visual tours to get buyers to your home. They can preview the property 24 hours 7 days a week without leaving their own home. Almost 80% of buyers start their home search on the internet with pictures, lots of pictures and visual tours.

4.Your dog and cat can stop a buyer agent in her tracks and take your home off the showing list. Remarks on your listing like "don't let the cat out" or "the dog barks a lot so put her outside" can slow down showings. My all time favorite is "don't go in the garage the dogs will bite and hurt you." Kitty litter on the kitchen floor or dog stains on the furniture are not good things.

5.Odors kill a deal every time. What's worse is using a smelly fragrant deodorizer trying to mask a bad odor. Clean and fresh smell always works with buyers. Keeping the kitchen and bathrooms clean make sure all trash cans are empty and trash moved out of the house to outside closed containers.

6.Over stuffed closets, garages full of your junk so much so that you can't fit a car, basements full of stuff, too much furniture, all of your collections on display in every room. All of this stuff gets in the way, clean it out.

7.A dirty house won't sell unless it is distress sales to an investor where you can expect a low ball offer, if you don't care it will show. Buyers like to see the outside when they open the blinds it's not a good thing that dust and dirt fall down on them. Walking around toys, pillows on the floor or a generally messy house doesn't allow the buyers see the home they are more worried about what they will step on.

8.Uncut lawn, untrimmed shrubs, overgrown weeds do not make for good curb appeal. Trimmed and edged lawn and shrubs are a basic requirement of a good appearance that will attract buyers to your home. Buyers are always driving around neighborhoods they drive by disasters but stop and write down phone number and web addresses of well maintain homes.

9.Most home buyers are not looking for a project, the closer your home is to move in condition the quicker sale you will have. The exterior of your home must be in very good condition. No broken windows all screens in place, rain gutters clean and properly attached. Doors, shutters and trim freshly painted.

10. Turning on the kitchen faucet and it comes off in your hand is not going to get the buyer jumping to make an offer even if they like the house they maybe too embarrassed to make an offer because they broke something. Everything inside the home should work properly. Lights, doors, drawers, appliances, and kitchen and bath faucets.

It's up to the seller to have the home ready and available for the buyers. If you are not ready don't put up the for sale sign, don't waste your time or your agents time and money. It does cost money to properly market a home your real estate agents money until closing.

Bill Carey a Broker/Investor/Builder. His over 30 years experience in Real Estate Sales, Investments and Construction offers a unique perspective to the processes of Investment Grade Real Estate. Bill and his family own resort rentals and hold a number of Off-Campus student rental properties in southern states. This started when our oldest daughter went away to school at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. The Carey family continues to buy and successfully rents student rental properties

How to Save $50,000 plus on your Childs College Education. 9 Steps to In-State Tuition. Student Rentals Real Money Makers. Check out the 9 part e-course on "How to Buy Your Student Rental Property"

Contact Bill by email at Info@CollegeTowneProperties.com or visit our website http://www.CollegeTowneProperties.com

(Your Comments are Welcome)

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Sell Your Home on the Internet

With the internet now being so readily available to most households, the world wide web has become a massive marketplace for pretty much anything that you could ever need to buy. These days that includes a new home. More and more people are using the internet to advertise their property and more and more people are looking there before they even look to the real estate agents. Last year 25% of home buyers bought their property through the internet. That is a staggering number and one which will increase considerably with each year. If you are planning to deal with your own real estate sale then you really should think about trying to sell your home on the internet.

There are many dedicated sites available to you should you decide to sell your home on the internet. These will vary in the services that they offer and their associated charges. On some sites you will be able to advertise your property, but any dealings with potential buyers will be entirely down to yourself. You will just have an advertisement on the site and anyone interested will contact you via your posted telephone number or email address.

Other sites will be more involved in your home selling procedures and will give you help and advice and follow you through the process. You can pay a range of fees depending upon the service that you opt for. Each aspect will carry a fee, such as a charge for listing your property right through to a complete tailor made service which will include the introduction of potential buyers and arranging of viewing times with you. Be very careful when you are registering for a service to help you to sell your home on the internet. Some of the fees structures can be a little complicated and you must always make sure that you are aware of the services that are included in your package. Some will include a service to help you through the legal red tape towards the end of the process, when it is time to sign contracts etc and some are more of an introduction agency for property.

One important aspect of property selling is to make sure that your house looks as good as it can in the photographs. As this will be the first impression that most people will get of the property, you should make it look its best. This may mean waiting for a sunny day rather than taking a photograph in the rain! It may seem a little absurd but it does make a psychological difference to people. They probably will not even realise it, but it will alter their impression! Make sure that the outside and inside of your house are as neat and uncluttered as possible. This is important whether you decide to sell your home on the internet or via more traditional routes. Try to remove as much personal clutter as possible and leave the place neat and tidy at all times.

These days, deciding to sell your home on the internet is a great idea. If you take a quick look at the various websites available you will surprised to see the huge number of people that are using the internet as a real estate market place.

Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about sell your home on the internet, please visit Real Estate Selling Online for current articles and discussions.

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How to Sell Your Home Online and Save Money

The crash of property prices in the UK and buoyed by the spiraling of the economy have prompted many house sellers to think of ways of maximizing their earning potential. One of these is to do away with the hiring of real estate agents. This makes a lot of sense since most real estate agents charge up to 3% of the total sale value, which is definitely a lot of money considering the economic crunch that the nation is in.

Selling one's property can churn out a lot of savings for any house seller. Consider that when a London property can be fetched for 400,000, the real estate agent can gain as much as 10,000 in commissions. Taking the real estate agent from the equation can really bring a lot of savings for any house seller.

With the advent of the Internet, selling a property has become less complicated. The Internet answers some of the basic assistance provided by real estate agents, particularly in getting a good number of prospective buyers. Real estate agents are often hired because they have an extensive network of real estate buyers who can potentially buy the house of their clients. This makes the selling easier and faster for house sellers. However, with the advent of Internet-based house selling advertisements, house sellers can now gain a good number of potential buyers from the Internet.

Selling a home online can also save a house seller time. There are many UK websites that allow house sellers to advertise their properties for sale. The process is usually simple and takes a couple of minutes to finish.

While many people think that it is hard to estimate the value of their property without the expert help of a real estate agent, the truth is that there are website that can provide free estimates of any property. These websites can even compare prices of properties in any area in the UK. There are also websites that offer listings of prices of homes recently sold in a particular area.

Selling a home online requires taking some shots of the property for sale. Using a digital camera, home owners should take pictures of the house for sale from various angles. Since websites now allow uploading of multiple images, a house seller can effectively portray the entire look of a property for sale just by posting as many images as he or she can.

There are also websites that provide Home Information Pack or HIP to those who want to sell their homes online. As most Brit's know, laws require house sellers to have HIP before selling any property in Wales and England.

Advertising a house for sale should be made by posting essential details about the property such as the number of rooms and their respective measurements, as well as other facilities that may be noteworthy to mention.

Once the potential buyers visit the property for sale, house sellers are a couple of steps closer from completing the sale of their houses. House sellers can then get the assistance of a solicitor to finalize the various legal requirements. After exchanging deeds of sale, the house selling process is finally complete.

Homes On Sale is 100% free for sale by owner (FSBO) and has been since 1999. More people are waking up to the benefits of selling their property without using a real estate agent. Take advantage of the saving you can achieve by selling your home online yourself and enjoy the savings. Be sure to visit http://www.homesonsale.co.uk

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Sell My Home Privately - How to Price My Home to Sell Privately

How do I sell my home privately and avoid enormous agent commissions? Many people to-day are making the decision to sell their home privately and are reaping the rewards with huge savings. They also now realize that selling their home without an agent/broker was not the daunting task they first believed it would be. By following the correct advice particularly when it comes to pricing the end result was a quick and successful sale.

Here's my motto when it comes to pricing - Don't just price to sell... price for PROFIT!

Pricing of a house is probably the most important, yet least considered aspect of selling your home as a for sale by owner - FSBO.

The wrong price will cost you thousands of dollars any way you look at it!

A for sale by owner price that is "too low" will result in a "Net" that is thousands ($1,000's) less than what you could have gotten with a little research.

A price that is "too high" will cause your house to sit on the market for a long time.... and possibly never sell!

Not selling means paying thousands more in mortgage payments, taxes, and insurance until you lower the price to what the market would have supported in the first place...or hire a realtor to sell it for you and pay an outrageous commission!

To make matters worse, the wrong price causes your house to get "shopworn".

The longer it stays on the market the more you'll be subject to really low-ball offers!

Incorrect pricing is the classic FSBO mistake!

Getting the price right from day one increases your chance of a quick sale dramatically!

Bill Hansen has been assisting people for many years to sell their homes and highly recommends you visit this website for more tips and practical advice on 'Getting the Price Right': http://sellprivately-nobroker.com

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Systems Drive Real Estate Sales

The trend is for more of the top realtors to employ assistants to handle the more menial tasks or compensate for skill sets where the realtor has a weakness. This allows him or her to concentrate more on the aspect where they can provide greater benefit i.e. closing the sale. This allows the team to process more transactions and earn more in commissions. Systems are the backbone of these teams and enable all the team members to work together efficiently.

So what is a system? In this instance a system is a set of tasks that fit together to complete a given objective. You can define a system for almost anything. For example you could write a system for making breakfast:

1. Get the newspaper
2. Cook the eggs & bacon
3. Make the coffee
4. Set the table

In this example you could assign the four tasks to four separate people. Each task could be defined in more detail so that a stranger could perform the task and the end result would still be satisfactory. However, if even one of the tasks is missed or poorly done then the end result will be disappointing.

In real estate the tasks are usually very simple but there are usually a lot of them. Missing some steps due to the pressure of work or just poor discipline can have a drastic effect on the final income. Also, real estate salespeople are generally not renowned for their discipline. They prefer to be more intuitive, outgoing and people focussed. Therefore it is common to have checklists, computer systems or office managers to ensure that all the steps have been completed.

Example : Buyer enquiry system

Enquiries from potential buyers can come from a variety of sources including people simply walking into the office and asking for a specific property. The agent needs to work with each potential buyer and look after their needs. He or she needs to make the buyer feel special and that there is no need to go elsewhere for real estate services. This needs to be done in a proactive but reassuring way. That last thing that should be done is scare the person away by over servicing or being too pushy.

Each agent will develop their own style and will eventually develop a pattern that works for them. A typical system for managing the buyer enquiry might look like this:

1. Complete a buyer enquiry form. Usually a paper form filled out by the agent whilst talking to the potential buyer.
2. Conduct a search of possible properties for the buyer.
3. Take the buyer to inspect the possible properties and sell one of them if possible.
4. Gauge the buyer reaction to the properties and build a profile for the kind of property that will be suitable.
5. Enter the buyer details in the client database and schedule a trail of follow up actions based on the assessment of the buyer and his or her likelihood of purchasing in the next few weeks.
6. Same day - send a letter thanking the buyer and providing details of the properties seen and confirming the preferred property features for future searches.
7. Every week. Call the buyer and discuss the details of other properties coming onto the market. Try to arrange some more inspections.
8. Every month. Send a copy of the office newsletter.
9. Every three months. Send a copy of the suburb profile with updated sales and new listings during the period as evidence of sales activity.
10. Every three months. Visit the buyer and discuss how he values your service and whether he wishes to continue. You may then decide to change his details and the nature of your follow up campaign based on his comments.

Typically the system would be setup for a set period. For instance if a person wanted to buy a new investment property sometime in the next 12 months then you would probably assign a system based on 12 months duration. Then there would be a set number of follow up actions required, each with its own date etc. A system like this simple example would have 78 distinct actions that need to be completed.

When done well, these follow up systems build a trusted relationship between the clients and the agent. That in turn leads to a strong referral business.

Many real estate agents manage an area, or farm, consisting of over 500 people as potential sellers. Sometimes up to 2,000 people. The number of long term potential buyers, depending on the market, could be in the hundreds at any one time. Therefore it is apparent that a successful agent soon builds up a large list of daily actions and must be extremely efficient to stay on top. Writing the details in the diary is simply not going to provide the follow up necessary.

Please refer to Selecting and Using a Real Estate Database for more information.

Systems, tools and effective teams are the way forward in real estate sales today.

Mike Parsonage has worked in IT for over twenty years consulting to businesses of all sizes. His clients have included real estate agents over the past ten years where he has helped build systems and manage databases. His passion for establishing systems and improving business through change management has successfully turned many businesses around.

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