Anyone who's bought or sold a house before is already aware that the right agent can make a big difference in your experience. But what about the brokerage where the agent is affiliated -- does the brokerage involved in your home transaction really affect you as a consumer? In my opinion, not so much. Back in the '80's the brokerage used to provide a ton of perks including advertising, taking incoming calls, management support, etc. but with the advent of cell phones, the internet and work-from-home, the brokerages really are becoming more and more of a "virtual" presence. Now more than ever it's all about working with the right agent.
Agents can provide different services for buyers and sellers. If you're selling a house, here are some of the things you can (and should) expect from your agent.
Marketing
One of the most important things that an agent does for sellers involves marketing their listing, letting qualified buyers know it's available and providing the information those buyers crave in sleek and lovely presentations. Spend sometime looking up homes in your neighborhood on Zillow and look at some of the photos and listing descriptions. You'll probably be able to tell pretty quickly which real estate agents invest in staging and photos, and which ones try to skate by with smartphone snaps. Ultimately, writing the description "Remarks" and producing quality photos are the agent's responsibility, although supposedly some brokerages have standards and parameters around what needs to be done to promote listings. I can't honestly say which brokerages do that, though, as I have seen some pretty bad examples of poor marketing efforts from all the major brokerages as well as some local "mom and pop" brokerages.
Education for you
Most people don't sell a house every day -- or every year, or twice a decade -- so there's a lot you might not know or remember about the ever-changing process, and it's part of your agent's job to help educate you about the gaps. The agent should do this by providing resources to help get you up to speed. You might not think you need to learn anything about selling a house, but at the very least, it's helpful to get an idea of what the market is doing so that you aren't surprised at the price agents to suggest when you start interviewing them.
Education for agents
The licensing requirements for real estate agents vary in every state, but each state requires some basic education in addition to continuing education as the years pass. Those are baseline requirements that might not cover everything an agent realistically needs to know to do business in your market, from legal restrictions to negotiation best practices. This is why you are likely better off using a salesperson who is a licensed broker and not just a licensed agent. The requirements to become a licensed real estate broker, and to maintain that broker's license, in California are more stringent than those required to become an agent and maintain an agent's license. I've been a licensed CA broker since 1997. Also, I strongly recommendyou check the background history of your agent prior to signing a listing contract, by running their name thru the CA Dept. of Real Estate licensing page, here: https://www2.dre.ca.gov/publicasp/pplinfo.asp. Do they have any complaints filed against them? Do they live here where your listing will be? Don't laugh...unbelievably, especially since COVID, there are many agents who try to sell listings from out-of-state.
A network of buyers
One of the biggest reasons why a seller would want to use a real estate agent in the first place is because agents can help expose your home listing to a broad section of buyers who are qualified to buy your house and interested in your specific dwelling. This is why listing your home as a for-sale-by-owner can be risky-- you don't have access to the agent and brokerage networks of buyers. Some agents offer "coming soon" programs, where registered and qualified buyers can learn about homes that match their criteria. Others are part of independent or franchise networks that stretch across the country, so you can even reach buyers moving to your area.
A network of mortgage and title pros
Just like real estate agents, you'll find a wide variety of mortgage and title professionals who specialize in different things. If you want a jumbo loan, or you're purchasing rural property, or a condo or you don't have a full downpayment -- all of those are situations where you might want to consider using aspecialized mortgage broker who can give you a full range of options. Similarly, there might be idiosyncrasies with your home loan or liens on your house that require a qualified title professional to parse. You probably don't know how to find these people, but an experienced real estate broker will, and they'll also know which mortgage and title operatives are responsive and helpful, and which ones sometimes take a shade too long to respond to your needs.
Processes and procedures for the transaction
Home sale transactions are complicated beasts, legally and financially and even emotionally. Some agents have a streamlined process outlined that they follow to make the transaction easier for everyone, while others don't oversee the transaction quite as much. Some agents use transaction coordinators ("TCs"), and unconscionably try to pass that added expense on to their seller or buyer...something I'll never be able to wrap my head around. Other agents may use minimum wage administrative staff and/or new and inexperienced agents as assistants to handle some of the transaction details on the sale of what is probably one of your most expensive assets. While I occasionally may hire and use a TC, and pay for their service myself, it is for the management and databasing of the myriad of paperwork that I go over with my clients myself. I never push my clients on to a TC or an assistant. I handle all aspects of the transaction myself.
Help packing up and moving in
Not every real estate agent is a concierge agent that will help you dot all the I's and cross all the t's, but if that's something you think you might need, then there are agents who will offer help with absolutely everything to do with your move. If you're staying in town, they'll arrange for movers to come to pack your things and transport them to your new home. Some agents also contract with a handyperson they book to come over to your new place and make any small fixes or adjustments that you've noticed a week or two after you move in. Others will provide help setting up your utilities and changing your address. As you probably know, when you're in the middle of moving and selling your house,every little bit of help can make a big difference in your experience. I offer many additional services to my clients, most at no additional costs: https://www.pvrealty.com/16-free-trust-probate-senior-out-of-area-seller-services/
Ongoing information
When it's 9 p.m. and you need an emergency plumber, or your electricity goes out on Christmas Day, do you know who to call? If you don't have a contractor on hand already, talk to your agent about people they recommend. They'll know people who can paint your house, pave your driveway, fix your water heater, or install a fence, and they've probably also heard all the stories around town about every contractor, so you can save yourself some time and headaches by just starting with your agent first.
Most sellers don't think about their real estate agent in terms of a resource. If you aren't sure whether it will make a difference if you list with one brokerage over another, do a little bit of research into what they offer sellers and compare them to ensure you're choosing the best agent for your home sale.
Disclosure: This article, like most agent’s blog contents, is provided by a 3rd party content service. Its original content was about whether the agent's brokerage should be of major importance when you choose to pick an agent to work with. I've spent most of my 35+ year career working for two of the most successful "one-man offices" in the greater LA area, and I've been hands-on in several thousand real estate transactions. Based on my experiences, it is ALL about the agent you chose. The brokerage that agent works for, big or small, or their own, is insignificant if the brokage doesn’t have a history of complaints filed against them. - Pierre