As sure as the sun comes up each day in Southwest Florida, two things are certain this time of year. Sellers consider placing their home on the market in January and November begins the Southwest Florida real estate agents year end ritual. Real estate agents consider their career options. It is predictable and certain.
January 2016 saw an increase in listings of 20.34%. This past January we saw a rise of 12.1%, and it’s not uncommon to see more in February as well. Sellers must all decide “season” is the best time to put home on the market. The smart sellers place their home on the market before season as they have less competition from other sellers. There are lots of buyers out there right now and getting a jump-start on them can help sellers win the selling game before others come on market in a few months.
December is also the season when real estate agents decide if they’re going to stay in the business, join a team, or change brokerages. People are surprised to learn that the average real estate agent completes less than 1 deal per year, and thousands of agents don’t do any deals throughout the year.
Southwest Florida Real Estate Agents Year End Ritual
Board dues and MLS fees are due December 31 and total $725. That’s a lot of money if you’re selling less than 1 home per year. Everybody thinks real estate is easy and fun, so they jump in thinking they’re going to make a fortune and get to see a lot of nice homes. What they find is acquiring customers is costly and time consuming, and people are hard to work with when you don’t know the business.
Real estate customers need to be led. They come to an agent with experience in solving problems and advising on their best move. The fact is, they don’t come at all though unless you go out and prospect for them. Advertising is expensive, and most people just aren’t financially capable of shelling out the kind of money it requires.
Are All Agents the Same?
Customers think all agents are the same and they’re just sitting around waiting for the phone call. They’re quick to ask for commission reductions not knowing the agent they hired may not eat next week. Customers just don’t see all the costs associated with the real estate business, and neither do agents, until it’s too late.
Agents are much like consumers. They seek the lowest cost place to work thinking that if they control costs, more will fall to the bottom line. For Sale By Owners have a similar belief. The less you pay the more you’ll receive. This isn’t true for sellers and it’s not true for agents either.
Real estate agents shop brokers for highest commission split, lowest desk fees, etc. Sounds a lot like sellers shopping for a Realtor sell their home.
If you’re a seller, you should check out your agent’s sales for the year. Ask them if they’re considering moving brokerages, joining a team, or leaving the business altogether. This might influence whether you hire them, wouldn’t it?
Agents will want to reflect on 2017. Was it a good year? Are you at the best place for you? If you had only a handful of sales or less, what could you do differently in 2018?
Real estate is a tough business. There’s always room for great people. I wish people did more homework before getting licensed, jumping in and selecting a place to work. I wish buyers and sellers did more homework on selecting the right agent.
Experience Matters
Experience matters when you’re competing against other buyers and sellers. It certainly matters how your agent advertises. If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.
If you’re thinking of buying or selling, Always Call the Ellis Team at Keller Williams Realty 239-489-4042 Or search online for Free at www.LeeCountyOnline.com If you’re thinking of getting into the business, call Sande or Brett Ellis and we’ll talk about how you can succeed in real estate, and things to think about Before you make your decision.
Good luck and Happy Selling!
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