Things to Consider When Hiring Your Real Estate Agent
Barbara Heise, Realtor, Member of St Louis Realtors
My grandparents were born in the 1890s on the Nebraska plains. They grew up watching the buffalo range on the plains and were still fearful of the Indians that lived in the area. It seems impossible today to even imagine this. My husband would often ask them about their feelings of coming from horse and buggy times to watching a man land on the moon. (They both lived until they were 100 years old.)
Today my husband uses the oldest and simplest cell phone available. He throws his hands up in the air every time something goes wrong with his computer. His attitude has changed. He now feels like maybe the baby boomer generation has realized an even more tremendous change in lifestyle and the way we live and work
Such it is in the real estate industry. When talking to my repeat clients today I say that about the only thing that remains constant in our business is the yard sign. However, in recent buyer surveys, ninety-five percent used the online website and only 49% used yard signs as a resource.
Today it is important that the person you choose to represent you in the sale and purchase of your home be knowledgeable about the latest in trends, technology and marketing. The latest research from the National Association of Realtors shows that more than 95% of all recent buyers used the internet at some point during the home search. Research shows that 50% found the home they ultimately bought online. Your curb appeal is now on-line.
The other reality is that good service, still and always will, come from the heart. I strongly encourage in-depth consultations to lay out a strategy and discuss goals and time frames. My motto continues to be Unique Needs/Unique Solutions. Each and every one of us face different issues in our quest for the ideal lifestyle. My goal as an agent is to help you sell your homes, buy your homes and be respectful of your needs at all times.
I am a realtor/broker who is a member of the St Louis Realtors. I have been in the real estate industry in one form or another since 1974. In addition to representing buyers and sellers, I have expertise as a property developer/rehabber, property manager and as an assistant to a mortgage banker. During my co-ownership of a large Century 21 agency, I managed the relocation Department.
The majority of my business has focused on representing buyers and sellers. I describe myself as a demographic agent rather than a geographic agent which translates to “I love my relationships with my clients”. My concentration is on urban and inner suburban living. I enjoy promoting the advantages of diversity in housing stock and cultures. I have lived in the St Louis Metro area since 1972 in the municipalities of Brentwood (almost everyone lived in Brentwood Village at one time or another), Maplewood (in the top of one of the old homes on Flora), Ferguson (in property management), Ballwin (in property management), Creve Coeur (in property management), Richmond Heights (as a home owner – finally), home owner in University City from 1978 through 2012 and most recently in Skinker-DeBaliviere in St Louis city.
Five plus years ago, I joined RE/MAX Results, STL. The broker of RE/MAX Results encourages constant education among all of our agents. The company also implements the latest tools of the trade. We are paperless. We communicate by phone, email, texting, Facebook – whatever venue makes things easier for our clients in their busy and stressful worlds. Our marketing is the latest and greatest. RE/MAX Results agents out sell other major companies in the St Louis area by 2 to 3 times the real estate transactions per agent.
As for myself, I am constantly taking classes, usually via webinars, to keep abreast of the market and the technology. I think I love my job more now than I did some 30 years ago.
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