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How to find a Real Estate Agent:Are you in the market to sell or buy a house? Who isn't these days with mortgage rates at all-time lows and real estate property values soaring around the nation. Some people choose to sell their home themselves, which is considered "for sale by owner" and is not always easy since most agents shy away from those homes. It's usually a good idea to hire a real estate professional when buying/selling a home, but certainly negotiate the commission paid to them since that is only fair. When selling a home you usually pay 6% in commission (3% to the listing agent and 3% to the agent who brings the buyer). That can usually be negotiate down to 5%, so don't be bashful, speak up. When buying a home, you don't pay commissions, so there's nothing to worry about. The top real estate companies around the United States are ColdWell Banker, Century 21, and Remax. I'm sure there are other real estate agencies in your area as well since many are local and not national.
Commercial Property: Buying and Selling:Commercial property may include spaces used for retail, office, shopping, hotels, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, apartment complexes, as well as vacant land zoned to be used for any of those purposes. As with any real estate job, working as a commercial real estate agent means you will be relying on commission checks to keep you afloat. Much like residential real estate, if you are buying commercial property you need to follow the same procedures of inspections, zoning rules, etc. The stakes are usually much higher for commercial real estate, so do your research and talk with an attorney on tax laws and benefits to owning commercial property.Real Estate Broker vs AgentIt used to be that real estate agents were the only choice when it came to real estate transactions, but with todays hot market, brokers have suddenly become popular since they usually charge much less for the same services. One issue with real estate agents (and as a whole they are unwilling to budge on this issue) is that they work for a real estate company that takes a % of each sale, leaving the actual agent with only about 1 1/2% of the 3% you pay as a seller. The other 1.5% goes to the company the agent works for. Seems like a waste of money then to pay fees just to use a real estate company name to sell your house. That's why real estate brokers are suddenly scoring big sales since their commission fees are much lower because they don't have to pay a parent company, they take the commission for themselves meaning you can get them to agree to 2% or less. There are even listing brokers who will only charge a set fee to sell your house, like $1500. In a hot market, like those in Las Vegas or California, a house may be listed for a day and sold, so essentially the broker only has to do a few hours of work to get the $1500 (which makes sense). Why pay a professional real estate agent 3% of a $600,000 sale (that's $18,000) for the same few hours of work. Not all real estate transactions are so cut and dry, but in a hot market you will find brokers offering much better deals to sell your home than traditional real estate agents that work for an agency. We strongly recommend you research your local market conditions before choosing an agent and definitely consider a real estate broker for the sale your home since it can be a huge savings.
Becoming a Real Estate Agent - What do I do?The fastest growing profession over the last 2 years has been real estate agents. Why you may ask? Well just look at the selling prices for properties in California, New York, Florida and Boston area. You only have to sell a few homes a year to make a lot of money in those markets so most people say it's worth the time to get licensed as a real estate agent in their state and join the frenzy. I'm sure it will be short lived as all markets fluctuate, including real estate, and with the glut of new agents/brokers the competition will eventually eliminate the weak. If you want become a real estate agent you need to take courses offered in all states and become licensed. Talk with your local real estate agency for details on how to get started.
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