Heather Estes
Visalia, CA
Female, 27
I am a full-time REALTOR® under the state of California. I specialize in home buyers and am passionate about sharing the importance for everyone (especially young people) to become credit worthy. Many see home-ownership as something unattainable, or something to do when their in their 30's, married and with kids. While it might be one of the most expensive purchases in our lifetime the process itself is not as daunting as it's made out to be. With the right information anyone can own a home!
It's really hit and miss. Like any profession the mean ones are out there, but for the most part we are all pretty nice to each other. There are plenty of agents that I would prefer not to work with or would like to tell a thing or two, but it's in our best interest (and the best interest of our clients) to get a long. If I start beef with an agent for whatever reason and later on that agent has a property listed that my clients would like to put an offer on I have just greatly reduced their odds of getting their offer accepted. Not to mention as a REATLOR it is also a part of our code of ethics.
I haven't really seen anything too crazy as of yet (I'm sure my day will come) The worst experience I have had is just not getting responses out of the other agent to the point that I had to show up at their office demanding to speak with them in order to get the documents I needed to sanction the deal. Most of the time it's little things like that.
Thank you for the question!
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Lucky for me I have not been part of a sale with bad title. There are so many things that can go wrong with a real estate transaction and an agent only has control over a select few things. When it comes to the things we don't handle ourselves like financing, home inspections, and title companies, we serve our clients best by ensuring we select good, honest companies to complete those tasks. Experience is a good thing when finding an agent to work with but finding a an agent with seasoned resources is even more of a good thing! A good title company will do their job and dig up as much as record will allow them. If the home is being financed most lenders require a "clean title" before they will fund the loan. Title insurance is also super important and will alleviate an issues that may come up down the road. The most common title errors are clerical, meaning parts of information are untrue or left out making ownership unclear. If you have title insurance the cost of making the corrections to the title are covered by the title company.
Really good question, thank you!
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No, I can't say that I have. When someone comes to me to buy a home I have them meet with a lender to assess their ability to purchase. The lender will show them the numbers and the buyer decides if they will be manageable. If the lender approves them we go house shopping. I don't look too far into their private lives. I know where they work and how much they can afford, it's really hard for me to tell (unless I know them personally) if buying would a bad choice. Also, in my market it's almost always more affordable to buy than to rent so the struggle usually comes in the form of lender approval for the loan, not the ability to pay the mortgage. But if the market I worked looked different, of course I would. It is in our code of ethics to ensure we help our clients make the best choices, even when they don't benefit us as agents in the slightest. Turning down a buyer or seller is a loss in the wallet but a win in reputation and a good reputation goes a lot further than a paycheck in my book.
Thank you for the awesome question Karyn!
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Really great question! Personally I don't ever show homes to strangers so that isn't a concern. However, I do have to be on my toes during open houses. Before the open house I put about a week's worth of work advertising where I will be and how long I will be there giving plenty of opportunity to be staked out and attacked. I always carry my phone with me where ever I go and linked up with a few members of our local police force. I let them know when and where my open house will be and they will take the time to drive by a few times to ensure my safety. I have heard they make special jewelry now that can be activated to alarm to the police should an agent feel in danger.
For more of what I do to prevent myself from being harmed or kidnapped read my blog article
3 Reasons Why I Don't Show Homes to Unqualified Buyers (and why no real estate agent should!)
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Investment Banker
Did you experience the notorious 100-hour work weeks?
Fashion Model
Do you feel objectified when you're standing around in skimpy outfits?
School Bus Driver
Do the kids treat you with the same amount of respect as other authority figures at school?
I haven't had a client I have helped place move yet, but I do hope they will turn to me when the time to move comes again. The best way to ensure this is to only take on clients we feel we will work well with. I am a very sociable, high energy person so I might not be the right fit to a super detail oriented, introvert. I would never want someone to suffer through my exuberance in order to make a buck. It is in my reputation's best interest to find my client a better fitting agent. I get to refer business to another trusted agent, I get a referral fee, and my client doesn't have to fight the urge to roll their eyes every time I speak.
Thank you for the question!
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Good question!
In an age where everything is done on the web I really don't see them as a direct threat. It does make my job harder though. These companies harness leads through their site (taking away traffic from our sites) and then charge us for rights to get these leads. But it's just how things work now and that just means I need to try that much harder to be the agent of choice in my area.
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Honestly, at first they might have. I remembered getting static when I got licensed, I was only 20. If you're good at what you do, regardless of age, your an asset. The youth has brought a new twist to game. It keeps us all on our toes. New technology, new marketing ideas, it's really made it more of a make or break industry, at least here in California. I can't speak for the rest of the US. As long as your agent knows their stuff you're in good hands. I have come across a few agents who have been in the business 20 years and still can't speak openly to clients or negotiate on their behalf. Go with whomever you feel more comfortable with. If an older, more experienced agent is what you want then make that a priority when interviewing agents for the job. Thank you for the question :)
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