3 Tips for New Sacramento Real Estate Agents

Believe me, I know how it feels for brand new Sacramento real estate agents, even if it’s been more years than I care to count for me. I got my real estate license in the 1970s — bellbottoms and all — and I was excited about my career in real estate as I am today. I recall walking down the street and catching a glimpse of my newly licensed self reflected in a window and thinking, wow, I look JUST LIKE a real estate agent, and then I never wore that outfit again. Ha, ha, little joke there.

I’ve learned a lot of things over the years that I’d like to pass on to new agents. My intent is to be helpful and not to criticize. Buyers, if you’re reading this blog, you might remind your brand new agent to follow these principles to be more successful because your agent’s success is ultimately YOUR success. I also direct the following tips to buyer’s agents because most agents get their start in the business by working with buyers. They learn how to operate a lockbox, show homes and write a purchase contract. And along the way they get advice from veterans and hopefully it’s not the blind leading the blind.

The top 3 things all Sacramento real estate agents can do to ensure a successful career in real estate:

1. Call the buyer immediately after the buyer makes contact. Don’t think to yourself that you can wait until you finish with whatever you’re doing to return the phone call, send a text or an email. It doesn’t matter if you’re showing a home to Brad Pitt or in the shower, take a moment to get in touch with the buyer. If you don’t follow up with that buyer right away, the buyer will contact another agent, if the buyer hasn’t done so already. You don’t get a grace period in this business.
2. Read the MLS listing information completely. This means from top to bottom, paying attention to how to show the home, whom to call with questions (especially if 2 agents are listed), download attachments to MLS — click on the paperclip — and determine how to submit an offer, including whether specific documents are required for submission.
3. Call the listing agent before writing an offer. Sending an offer out of the blue to the listing agent delivers a message that the buyer’s agent might not really care if the seller accepts. Agents who care call the listing agent. These buyer’s agents want to confirm submission requirements and ask whether there have been previous offers, if the seller has any special considerations.

In case you are a buyer reading this blog, you might think to yourself, whoa, this seems so simple and easy I should go into real estate myself. But don’t kid yourself; it’s not simple and it’s that not easy. These 3 things are very difficult for a buyer’s agent to do. If you hire an agent who understands these 3 principles, though, you’re way ahead of the game.