Recommendation for THE Best real estate agent Lakeside

Who would you not use?

Talk about bobbing and weaving!!!  

Raul Gonzalez, and good luck to you.

Well, it seems to me that they can only qualify as best from either the seller of the buyer but hardly ever from both.

As a retired real estate listing agent from Texas, here is my advice. My specialty was selling expired listings--listings other agents failed to sell.

I can't give you a name although that is what you asked for. I can offer you some knowledge I acquired.

What's important is to pick someone that will be honest with you about:

(1) selling price versus telling you what you want to hear to get your listing
(2) what you need to do to prep your house for sale. Hopefully, that person really knows and is not guessing or using his/her preferences. What I noticed here in looking at photos of listings is that there is too much "stuff" in the houses and no staging has been done. Staging is not decorating.
(3) Need great on line photos.
(4) Is a good negotiator. One trick I used with my sellers is to always hold something back until the end.

One misconception typically is that the listing agent sells the house. Typically, not so as they cannot possibly have every buyer in the area.

Fastfox wrote:As a retired real estate listing agent from Texas, here is my advice. My specialty was selling expired listings--listings other agents failed to sell.

I can't give you a name although that is what you asked for.  I can offer you some knowledge I acquired.

What's important is to pick someone that will be honest with you about:

(1) selling price versus telling you what you want to hear to get your listing
(2) what you need to do to prep your house for sale. Hopefully, that person really knows and is not guessing or using his/her preferences.  What I noticed here in looking at photos of listings is that there is too much "stuff" in the houses and no staging has been done.  Staging is not decorating.
(3) Need great on line photos.
(4) Is a good negotiator.  One trick I used with my sellers is to always hold something back until the end.

One misconception typically is that the listing agent sells the house.  Typically, not so as they cannot possibly have every buyer in the area.

Good points, all.
Also, bear in mind that the listing agent makes out no matter who sells the house. They WILL receive a share of the commission.

Exactly.  It does not matter who sells it personally.  Misinformed sellers used to get stuck on this and they thought the listing agent should be the one showing the house when, in fact, it does not matter at all.  What matters is pricing, marketing and that it be shown by the buyer agents.

As a side note, I'm always aghast of the photos where you can see clothes and other personal items scattered and things generally not even picked up...and yet pictures were taken just like that.  My position was that I am hired to solve a problem and my advice is wanted, and taken.  If not, I would not waste my time--and theirs!

Fastfox wrote:Exactly.  It does not matter who sells it personally.  Misinformed sellers used to get stuck on this and they thought the listing agent should be the one showing the house when, in fact, it does not matter at all.  What matters is pricing, marketing and that it be shown by the buyer agents.

As a side note, I'm always aghast of the photos where you can see clothes and other personal items scattered and things generally not even picked up...and yet pictures were taken just like that.  My position was that I am hired to solve a problem and my advice is wanted, and taken.  If not, I would not waste my time--and theirs!

Back in the states, I had a good friend working with real estate people to "stage" houses.  Often, when she suggested that owners "de-clutter", including things like wall to wall family photos, they were offended......not realizing that the potential buyers would rather see a place where they could imagine they own possessions without being distracted.

Around this area, there are the colorful real estate magazines everywhere, and that's often the starting point for buyers.
When I see ads that fail to mention the location of the property, it's poor advertising.  Some buyers ONLY want certain locations.

These issues with sellers taking offense are usually easy to resolve by setting up expectations properly. I used to tell each one that they must detach from the house, stop thinking of it as their home, and see it as a product to be sold.

Yes, I do agree mentioning the area is important so as not to waste a client or agent's time.

Fastfox wrote:Exactly.  It does not matter who sells it personally.  Misinformed sellers used to get stuck on this and they thought the listing agent should be the one showing the house when, in fact, it does not matter at all.  What matters is pricing, marketing and that it be shown by the buyer agents.

As a side note, I'm always aghast of the photos where you can see clothes and other personal items scattered and things generally not even picked up...and yet pictures were taken just like that.  My position was that I am hired to solve a problem and my advice is wanted, and taken.  If not, I would not waste my time--and theirs!

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I've seen Listing Photos that could have been taken by a Six Year Old....

Check the MLS and look at other listings... when you find listings done the way you would like to see your property shown..
Clean it.. ( includes changing electrical fixtures, switches & plugs, old faucets & toilet seats, etc ) ... paint it... and call the Pros.

Lots of good points from various respondents, thanks to all. Still don`t have a clue who to call on, though. Some names mentioned as `nice guy`or otherwise leaves me scratching my head. Nice is usually the last aspect of a good salesman. I am thinking more in line of `shark`!

We used Chris at Biencom. Karen there is new in the game and works tirelessly for her sales. Good luck!

I'd go with Kevin Collins if I had a house to sell. He's a pro.