10 Questions To Ask When Interviewing Real Estate Agents

An experienced local REALTOR is your best bet to get the most value from a St. Louis or St. Charles County Missouri home purchase or sale. However, when it comes to choosing a REALTOR, there are so many options that it can become overwhelming. How do you know which St. Louis or St. Charles County area real estate agent you can trust? To help choose a local REALTOR that will work best for you, we have put together a list of ten questions you should ask when interviewing a real estate agent or team.

 

1. What is your level of experience?

Real estate agents know that what you learn practicing real estate is far more than you ever learned in real estate school. So be sure to choose an agent with experience.  Ask the agents you are considering the following questions: 

• How many homes do you sell yearly?
• How many buyers versus listings did you close last year?
• What percent of the listing price did you get on your closed listings in the last year?

 

2.  What professional designations have you earned to enhance your professional skills and real estate knowledge?

There are numerous designations available for REALTORs to achieve for improving their skills and expertise. These designations, along with everyday experience, will provide you insight into the REALTORs experience and commitment to the profession.  These designations include, but are not limited to, Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE), Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), e-pro, Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR), Relocation Certified, Luxury Home Specialist, New Construction Certified and many others. Experience and education are a winning combination.  

3. What type of staff or support resources do you have?

Does the agent have support staff like dedicated buyer or listing agents, transaction coordinators or secretaries that help them achieve the best results for their clients? What about technology systems that help them help you? Do they have access to support should the need arise? If a REALTOR has more than one client, or if they work part-time, they will need support for a smooth transaction.

4. Are you a part-time or full-time REALTOR?

Top selling part-time real estate agents simply do not exist. A successful, quality REALTOR is a full-time REALTOR.

5. Do you use a professional photographer to take home photos?  

Your home, regardless of the listing price deserves and needs professional photos to be properly marketed. Cell phone photos and photos taken by a friend who has a nice camera are not acceptable. You need professional photos with the proper resolution to get the best results.  The agents that have the clearest understanding of best marketing practices have several strategies and use the best photos available to market their homes.  

6. What areas do you primarily work in?

If the agent is an expert at selling city homes and you live in a rural area of the county, it might not be a good fit. Real estate is hyper-local and knowing the local market makes a big difference. Ask any REALTOR if they can provide a ranking report by area or zip code.  They should have this at their fingertips. 

 

7. Have you sold any homes in my neighborhood?

The answer to this question will let you know if the agent has sold, shown or is familiar with the benefits of living in your neighborhood or area.  Being familiar with the area, municipality, businesses and restaurants is an added bonus when selecting a REALTOR. 

 

8. How will you market my home?

Does the agent have a solid home marketing plan? Or is the plan to put a sign in the yard and wait? A well-constructed marketing plan should include online, offline, and in-home marketing services to help you get the most money for your home. You want to work with an agent or team of agents that make an investment in your home. It is critical that your home is fully enhanced on all major real estate websites.  Ask the agents you are considering this question, “why should I chose you to list my home?”  Enhanced marketing opportunities are ever changing, and you want to select a REALTOR that it is top of the marketing game.

9. How will you keep me informed of your progress?

Does the REALTOR put a sign in your yard and disappear indefinitely? A quality real estate agent should have a plan for reporting progress and checking in regularly with their clients.  Expectations and communication are key elements to a successful REALTOR and real estate experience.

10.  Is there anything that you specialize in or do different from other real estate agents?

Many REALTORs have learned specific sets of skills due to their experience and/or education. Even if that set of skills is not specific to your needs, knowing that an agent has a special set of skills is helpful. You want a REALTOR that is organized and intentional. One that has a plan, executes that plan, and follows through at every level.

It is the REALTOR’s responsibility to thoroughly explain to you what your options are regarding marketing, timelines, compensation and anything else that may be important to you as a client.    

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Are you thinking of buying or selling a home in the St. Louis or St. Charles County areas in Missouri? Why not interview The Boehmer Team? Contact us to learn how we are uniquely qualified to assist you. Or learn more about us at www.TheBoehmerTeam.com.

 

 

What Is An Inventory Home?

An inventory home is a completed new construction home that is available for sale by the builder. Inventory homes are the builder’s way of offering the buying public an opportunity for owning a brand new home without the wait time of the building process (typically 4-6 months). 

 

4 Bed, 3.5 Bath Home in St. Charles by Fischer and Frichtel features a Main Floor Master Suite

Home buyers who want a newly constructed home but are overwhelmed by the process of making selections on colors and finishes should take a look at inventory homes. And for those buyers who need to see exactly what they are getting without having to visualize their finished home from a display home or a floor plan brochure, an inventory home is a great option.

 

Why Inventory Homes Are Great For Home Buyers

This Low Maintenance Villa by by Bridgewater Communities includes an exterior maintenance package for a low monthly fee.

New construction homes are great homes to purchase. They require less maintenance, are more energy efficient and are safer than older homes. Newly constructed homes often come with warranties that are far better than any warranty you can get on an existing home.

Learn More About The Benefits of Buying New

In addition to all the great reasons for getting a newly built home, builder inventory homes offer other great perks as well. For example, a home buyer gets to enjoy the beautiful results and hard work of interior finishes that were a collaboration of the builder and their interior designers. 

 

Beautiful Custom Kitchen in a Ballwin by Wool Custom Homes

Together they create a home that is on trend with some of the most popular colors and finishes for details such as flooring, countertops, light fixtures, and other details. This ensures that you don’t have to stress over every selection and wait for the work to be completed. 

 

The open living area and tall ceilings are a popular feature in this move-in ready home in St. Louis County by Renaissance Living.

Many buyers want to be moved into their new home in time for the holiday season.  Builders prepare for these demands and often have great opportunities on brand new, move-in-ready inventory homes.  Although every builder is different, it is not uncommon to find year-end savings or promotional opportunities on these homes.

St. Louis and St. Charles County Builders With Inventory Homes For Sale

Throughout the years The Boehmer Team has worked with many new home builders in the St. Louis and St. Charles County areas.  We have created a list of preferred builders that we recommend to our clients. Each of these quality builders has inventory homes from time to time. We keep an updated page of those inventory homes at BuyNewAndNow.com.

 

Enjoy a spacious kitchen, center island, and upgraded appliances in this St. Louis County home by Genesis Development.

See Our List of Preferred Builders

While builders will be happy to provide you their own in-house sales representative, we recommend you contact an experienced Realtor for help when buying a new home. An experienced real estate agent will represent your interests in the transaction, not just the builder’s interests. If you have a question about buying an inventory home or would like more information about inventory homes, contact The Boehmer Team for expert assistance.

 

 

 

Questions to Ask a REALTOR® When Listing Your Home

If moving is on your mind, you should talk to a REALTOR. An experienced local real estate agent can answer all your questions. But do you know what questions to ask? To help, we've made a list of questions to ask a REALTOR when listing your home.

How should I price my home?

This is a question that no online estimator or Zillow “zestimate” can answer accurately. It is imperative that you speak to an experienced REALTOR for correct pricing. A REALTOR has access to the most current information on the local market and can take into account upgrades and high-end finishes comparable to your recent neighborhood home sales to get you the most accurate price. Expect the REALTOR to share their research and data with you so you can better understand their findings and price suggestions. A quality Realtor should want to review the details with their sellers.

How many sales did you complete last year?

Did you know that the average real estate agent only sells about 6 homes a year? An agent/team that works with a higher volume of clients makes more buyer and seller connections that help sell homes quicker. For the last 7+ years The Boehmer Team has consistently closed over 300 home sales per year. This is why we are the top real estate team in St. Charles County.

What is your marketing plan for my home?

A quality marketing plan should include a variety of strategies to reach other agents as well as consumers searching for homes.  The Boehmer Team's “Maximum Exposure Marketing Plan” encompasses various tools and resources which have proven to be successful in the home selling process. During their listing presentation, The Boehmer Team will thoroughly review the full marketing plan.

How many websites will include information about my home?

Hundreds. The Boehmer Team’s listings are submitted through Maris MLS IDX feed to all local area real estate company websites. In addition, your listings are submitted to the major national websites and promoted through the BHHS Select Properties Relocation Program as well as numerous social media platforms.

Do you have advice for me about the condition of my home?

The Boehmer Team assists home sellers in determining small tweaks or updates that may result in higher net profit from their home sale. We'll share our experience of what buyers are looking for to help you make your home the most valuable in their eyes.

Can you recommend contractors and moving companies?

During our numerous years in the real estate business, we have gathered quality resources that can assist both buyers and sellers in the home sale and moving process. We are full service Realtors, at your service for life.

Why should I hire you or your team to sell my home?

Any quality agent or team should be prepared to handle and answer this question. For more information on why The Boehmer Team is your best choice in listing your home, contact us today!

 

 

The Truth About New Construction “Specialists”

It seems that more and more Realtors are marketing themselves as a “New Construction Specialist”.  We see a lot of real estate agents in St. Louis and St. Charles County, Missouri use this term every day, and it brings about a fair question in our opinion.  What exactly is it that makes them a “Specialist” in the area of New Construction?  

 

It appears that most of these Realtors are branding themselves as “New Construction Specialists” because they have represented an undisclosed number of buyers that have purchased new construction.  However, having sold 2, 3, 5 or more new construction homes does not make you a specialist by any measure.  Even ten or more sales merely make you better versed in new construction, certainly not a “Specialist”.

We are fortunate in our profession that we can brand ourselves any way we choose.  Often times, it can be a misleading claim that consumers fail to question or confirm.  There are several things to consider when hiring a Realtor with claims of being a New Construction Specialist”. 

• How many buyers have they represented purchasing New Home Construction?
• How many different builders have they worked with when representing a buyer?
• How many different neighborhoods have they represented a buyer in when purchasing new construction?
• Do you accompany your clients on the contract, structural meetings, walk throughs, color selections, etc.?
• Have they ever worked on the builder side of the business?
• If so, in what capacity?
• Have they ever represented a builder in new construction sales?
• If so, how many homes did they sell and how long did they sell?
• What price range of homes did they sell for the builder?
• Are they familiar with the builder side of the business regarding land costs, development costs, building and material costs, supply and demand challenges, customer service policies and material specifications? Working on the “builder side” also means representing the builder as a community sales representative, construction manager, service representative or any position where you work directly for the builder.
• How do they feel they add value as your buyer representative for new construction?
• Do they have any professional designations that they have earned regarding New Construction?
• Are they a certified New Construction Specialist as recognized by the National Association of Realtors (NAR)?
  
  

Truth be told, in order to be branding yourself as a “New Construction Specialist”, at a minimum you should have a designation from NAR or your brokerage.  The course should be detailed and include 40 or more hours of training by a qualified professional.  An agent should also have sold a variety of new construction homes, in a variety of municipalities, by a variety of builders in varying price ranges.  

 

The most experienced Realtors are those that have served 10 plus years on both sides of the transaction, both the builder side and the brokerage side.  An added bonus is a Realtor that has had the opportunity to spend time not only selling new construction as a builder representative, but serve time at a management level understanding the challenges that builders face every day.  

 

If you are looking for assistance with your new home construction purchase, contact The Boehmer Team.  We meet the criteria and will put our knowledge and expertise to work for you. 

 

 

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Selling a Home

 

The Boehmer Team assists home sellers across the St. Charles County and St. Louis metro area to make the most of their home sale. We like to educate our clients on pitfalls to avoid during the home selling process. Here’s a list we’ve put together of common home selling pitfalls we’ve seen an advised our sellers to avoid.

 

Selling It Yourself

There is tons of data showing that the typical “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO) route is not the best path. Think you’re saving yourself from paying a commission to an agent? True, but you’re likely missing the chance to make a lot more money. Unless you’re an expert at home marketing, know how to set the best price for the market, enjoy detailed contracts and paperwork, have lots of time to show your home and field calls, and are an expert negotiator, then you might have a chance of successfully selling your home yourself. Likely, all of these things don’t apply to you. Hire an a qualified agent and make more money. Currently less than 10% of all sellers sell their home FSBO while 90% use an agent.*

 

Hiring Family or Friends

While it might seem fun to work with a friend or family member to sell you’re home, there’s a few reasons why it isn’t the best idea. Your friend or family member may be lazier complacent and underperform with you because there is less pressure to impress and get future business and/or good reviews. Imagine if things go bad, will you be able to fully express your frustrations and concerns? What would it do to your relationship? Unfortunately, we’ve heard plenty of stories involving ruined relationships due to bad real estate transactions.

Not Interviewing or Researching Your Realtor

Even if a Realtor has years of experience, they may not be the best fit for you. Interview several agents to see if you like their communication style, their local expertise, particular specializations and their home marketing plan. Research the agents to learn about their business history and see customer reviews. Then choose the real estate agent or team that is the best fit for your needs.

 

Waiting for the Right Time to Sell

The right time to sell a home could be anytime. A good Realtor will advise you on what needs to be done to sell your home when you want to sell it. This could include making changes to present your home in it’s best light, or selling your home without changes at a price competitive to similar homes in the market.  A qualified and full time Realtor will be versed in the supply and demand that most affects the sales of homes like yours.

Pricing a Home Too High

We understand the thought to “test the market” with a high price. However, the usual result is the home being on the market for longer than necessary. Do you want to sell the home quickly at a good price or keep paying mortgage payments for months while you slowly lower the price to fair market value?

While there are many home value estimators online, ask a trusted Realtor to provide you with a comparative market analysis for the most accurate valuation of your home including any updates made to it for the best-suggested sale price.

Learn more about the dangers of overpricing here.

Refusing to Make Changes

When selling you want to present your home as best as possible. This includes making any necessary repairs, cleaning, decluttering, and neutralizing the décor to make the home most appealing to the maximum number of buyers. Homebuyers often point to repairs as a reason to offer less money on a home. Also, buyers can be turned off by highly specialized home décor that they will have to change. Be prepared to update your home in ways that will most appeal to buyers.

 

Skimping on Repairs or Hiding Issues

Beware leaving repairs unattended. Even small defects can turn buyers off. If they go through your home and find dirt, loose doorknobs, or leaky faucets, they’ll wonder if you’ve been neglecting bigger issues in the home as well.  In addition, most buyers get a home inspection after you accept their offer. If a major problem with your house comes up during the inspection, it could delay your closing date or even terminate the deal altogether.

Not Using Professional Photos

Most homebuyers will most likely see your home online. Therefor, you want to have the best photos of your home available for online viewers. The photos will indicate to buyers whether they want to tour a home in person or move on to the next home listing.

 

Limiting showings

Once you’ve put your home on the market, there will be requests to tour the home. Try to cooperate when your agent wants to show it. This may mean scampering out at dinnertime for a private showing, vacating for several hours or even most of the day for a weekend open house. The goal is to accommodate as many buyers as possible, even if their timing isn’t necessarily convenient for you.

 

Not Leaving for Home Showings

While you may be curious as to who is interested in your home, sticking around for showings does nothing but make everyone feel awkward. Leave any questions to the agent and allow the buyer room to tour the home without you being present. breathing down their neck. You don’t want to stand in the way of the buyer’s ability to see your house as their dream home.

Not Expecting The Costs of Home Selling

Be prepared for the costs associated with selling a home. A good Realtor knows how to best arrange your home sale with these costs in mind.

• Agent commissions.
  
• Closing costs: usually 1–3% of the home price including sales tax, title transfer fee, and title company closing procedures.
• Professional home staging. If needed, the costs vary depending on where you live, the size of your home, how many rooms you want to stage, whether or not you’ll be renting decor, and different pay structures including an initial consultation and monthly fee. On average, home staging costs around $525–2,000.
• Funds for repairs brought up by the home inspection. Depending on the seriousness of the issues that come up, repairing your house could cost hundreds or thousands. While that doesn’t mean you have to pay to fix it, buyers will expect a discount.
• Moving expenses like hiring movers or rental storage fees can add up too. Be sure to research these costs.

 

Taking a Low Offer Personally

An offer on your home is part of a business transaction and not a reflection of your home, décor or housekeeping abilities. Keep in mind that if the buyers are making an offer, it is because they really like your home. A low offer can be a starting point for negotiating a good counteroffer. A truly interested buyer will likely improve their original offer in negotiations.

 

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If you are considering selling your St. Louis or St. Charles County area home, interview The Boehmer Team. We’re an open book of real estate knowledge that we’re ready to share with our clients. Working with a team is a plus, allowing us to offer superior service, expertise in each area of a transaction, and ensures a qualified agent will always be available for your questions or needs. Learn more about us and our award-winning services at www.TheBoehmerTeam.com. 

 

*Data from Realtor.com

 

Find a Home Faster with a Realtor

Homebuyers in the current real estate market, whether in St. Louis, St. Charles County or beyond, are facing more competition as low inventory of available homes for sale persists. Some are getting discouraged at the amount of time and number of tries it can take to find the right home for sale and get a contract accepted. But there is no need to give up on the search for a new home. Working with an experienced Realtor and/or real estate team can make the process easier and faster.  That being said, if you are competing with cash offers and buyers that are willing to waive all of their rights, your agent will help you understand the possible dangers of those decisions.

Learn of Homes For Sale Quicker

Working with a Realtor that provides information on new homes as they hit the market or that are coming soon to market will give you an edge. Realtors, particularly at larger brokerages, know of listings that have yet to hit the market. They also have access to local multiple listing service systems that can often provide updates of homes for sale before they hit the national websites. In a competitive market, this extra time may make the difference in getting your offer submitted and accepted before others find the listing.

A Resource for Community Information

When trying to find a new home in a competitive market, the local area around a home of interest may seem less of a concern than actually procuring the home. This is a good time to have a Realtor in your pocket. Realtors know communities and often have information about the local area like roads, other neighborhoods or commercial properties being built nearby that may be of concern to the home buyer.

Experienced Real Estate Negotiator

When you find the home that’s “the one” it can be easy to allow emotions to get involved in negotiations. Or, you may lack the experience needed to ensure you position your offer to secure the home. As a result, it may take longer to get a deal finalized. Using an experienced Realtor to handle all negotiations will more than likely get things done more efficiently and at a better price than you probably could have negotiated yourself.

Help with Paperwork and Closing

Real estate transactions involve a lot of paperwork and legal forms. If you try to handle this on your own, mistakes could be made that prevent a transaction from being completed or throwing your purchase into chaos at closing. By letting your Realtor take charge of the paperwork and closing, a purchase can be done professionally and accurately. From making sure the title to the property is clear to ensuring the lender has met all deadlines on financing, a Realtor will help create a smoother, faster closing.

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Don’t just trust any Realtor; be sure you have an experienced Buyer’s Agent like those on The Boehmer Team to represent you. If you walk into a home for sale unrepresented and use the Realtor listing the home, their first duty is to their home seller. So contact The Boehmer Team to talk to our dedicated Buyer’s Agents or to get listing updates from our local MLS to see the type of homes you want as they hit the market in real time.

 

New Home Opportunities in a Competitive Market

If you’ve been home shopping recently for St. Louis or St. Charles County real estate, you’ve probably noticed something – things are rather competitive. Currently there aren’t as many homes available for sale as there are homebuyers trying to buy homes (known as a sellers market). Homebuyers are having more difficulty procuring a home they want against all the competition. Those who consider buying new give themselves another option. How about you? Have you considered buying new?

 

Builder Inventory Homes

Homebuyers can buy a new home often for a similar price as a pre-existing one. Check out homebuilders’ inventory of already-built or being-built homes that have yet to be sold.  Every month that a completed home doesn’t sell incurs costs for the homebuilder, so builders may be more motivated to sell homes in their inventory.

Often times inventory homes are priced including promotions and incentives that you would receive had you built the home from the ground up.  Builders also choose top-selling floor plans with the most popular features and finishes for their inventory homes so they appeal to today’s buyers.  Many buyers love the idea that they see exactly what they are getting when buying a home from inventory. Buying an inventory home is often a very smart move for today’s buyer for a number of reasons. 

We’ve put together a webpage specifically so you can see what builder inventory homes are currently available for sale in our area. Check out our New & Now page to see the many great new home opportunities available.

 

Historically Low Interest Rates

Interest rates are still historically low. This means you can get more house for your budget. If you need help finding a reputable mortgage lender, contact us to offer some suggestions of home lenders to check out. Also, don’t miss trying our mortgage calculator to find out what your monthly payments might be based on the price of a home, the interest rate and length of the loan. 

Using an Experienced Buyers Agent

Experienced buyers specialists, like the ones on The Boehmer Team, can help you with the home buying process at little to no cost. Our job is to help you find home buying opportunities that match your needs and help you through the process of purchasing a home, which is especially helpful in a competitive market. 

 

Our network provides us access to homes being prepared for the market that aren’t even listed yet. We also know of off-market listings to show our homebuyers. Using a Boehmer Team Buyer Specialist gives you an edge over trying to procure a home on your own.

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If you are a homebuyer currently looking for a new or pre-existing home to buy, contact The Boehmer Team. We can help you procure your dream home and even help sell your current home. Reach out any time for a no obligation home buying or selling consultation and learn our strategies to help buyers and sellers.