THEIR TEAM...MY TEAM...Emphasis on Listing vs Emphasis on Buying

By holding an open house in Palm Coast Plantation every week I can really stay on top of what property buyers are looking for.  And, surprise, many of them don’t know.  At least, they don’t know yet.  They have not made some important decisions yet:  Build a new home or Buy a Resale?  Buy a Single Family Home or a Condo?  Live in a gated community or not?

 “Teams” are the new concept at large real estate agencies.  They are small groups of specialists.  The emphasis is on getting Listings.  A  group of  three or four agents within the agency work together and pool their commissions. 

A common way to organize an internal real estate team is like this: One member of the group is the Listing Specialist.  The Listing Specialist responds to listing leads, gives the listing presentation and closes the deal with the Seller.

Then there is a Buyer Specialist.  This member is responsible for qualifying and driving buyers around to look at properties.   Instead of spending time soliciting listings, the Selling Specialist stays on top of what properties are on the market and puts together the classic sales presentation… Show one awful house that makes your listing look good.  Show one house like your listing that is priced way higher than yours.  And then show them your listing and close the deal.  It’s called “three and out”.  You see it in action on the real estate shows on TV.  (Worst case is to get a prospective Buyer who loves to look at houses and will have you driving them around every weekend for the next six months.)  

The person the Listers and the Buyers will spend most of the time talking with is the team’s Administrative Assistant.   The Administrative Assistant usually has a real estate license and can deal with almost all the  “After It’s Listed” and “After its Sold” interactions with both the Listers and the Purchasers. 

This makes the team very efficient. The Listing specialist can be out getting more listings and the Selling specialist can be out showing the group’s listings  to well qualified Buyer prospects.  And the Administrative Assistant can be herding the cats and passing out catnip.

But what about me?  I am a Buyers Agent.  A New Construction Specialist.  A homesite finder.  I don’t do Listings.   My goal is to find a Buyer Prospect, qualify them as “Hot, Medium or Cold” and work intensely with the Hot ones to find them the right property.  I can either earn a commission, if I find them the property myself.   Or I can earn a referral fee if I refer them to another Real Estate agent.

THE BUYING PROCESS:   I do a “Needs Analysis”.  If it turns out that a buyer wants to build a new home, I start looking for a lot and select builders who fit their price range.  (I talked about finding the right lot and the problem of estimating the cost of fill dirt in a previous blog)

These are either “Level One” builders who know the cost of every nail they need to build the houses they offer.  Level One builders generally target the entry level and lower priced markets.  They are reluctant or refuse to do major changes to their house plans.  They often build and sell  ‘Spec” homes.  (They are now calling them “Move In Ready” homes).  They buy a lot, build a house and put it on the market for sale.  They are often identifiable by a professional, salaried sales staff who work for them exclusively and sit in a model home. 

Then there are what I call “Personalized” builders.  They start from a group of house plans they have already built.  They know the cost to build those houses.  Then they interact with the Buyer to make major personal modifications such as enlarging the Master Bedroom and bath.  Including a third garage.  Moving a wall.  Eliminating some high cost features to stay within your price range.  Adding some upgrades you want.  These “Personalized” houses cost a more per square foot-there is risk involved costing out your changes to their standard house plans.    

Then there are the “Custom Builders”.  They design your house from scratch and are generally at the high end of the price scale. They, too, like to start by showing you houses they have built and know some cost information about.  But the emphasis is on the drawing board phase.  They are builder/architects and target the Luxury New Home market.

MY SPECIALTY:  Navigating through finding the right homesite and selecting the right builder is what I have concentrated on in Palm Coast since 1996. 

But not every prospect I meet is sure they want to build a new home.  They might be able to find just what they want on the resale market for much less.  Or maybe they should really buy a condo…So much less to take care of.

MY TEAM:  I have a team, too.  But I have a different kind of team than I would have if I was a Listing Specialist. 

As a Buyer’s Agent, I specialize in identifying and meeting Buyer needs.  So Ted’s Team consists of me—a New Construction Specialist. 

And a Resale Specialist with an intimate knowledge of MLS listed homes and our resale market.  

And a Condominium Specialist who knows the details about every condo complex in Palm Coast. 

Together we help you decide what you want, identify the best candidates and help you to negotiate and purchase  your selection.

New Construction or Resale, or Condo…if you are planning to purchase a property we have the knowledge and expertise to help you purchase the right one.  Work with me to analyze and prioritize your needs and to develop and efficient and effective plan to scour the market for options.  Use me and my team and you will gain important knowledge and  insight that will help you make good decisions and to help you find,  negotiate and purchase the right property .

Talk To Ted !