Ask a Realtor: Why relationships matter
Ask A Realtor
Dear Tisa and Scooter: My wife and I are looking to sell our larger home in Vail and downsize to something smaller with less maintenance. We are curious about broker relationships and how they impact our ability to sell our existing home and find a new one.
— Selling to Buy
Dear Selling to Buy: A close relationship with your real estate professional is key in any real estate transaction and it is even more crucial when someone is selling and buying in a relatively short period of time.
When looking to buy or sell a home, having a broker you trust and who is experienced and knowledgeable in your community can be critical to selling for the price and terms you want, particularly in a fast-paced market such as the Vail Valley. Top brokers work with other brokers daily and deals may be done before a listing appears in the MLS.
Understanding the intricacies of each submarket also gives their clients an advantage. Many sellers want to know there are buyers out there for their properties and buyers want to be first in line when a new listing becomes available. The only way a broker gains this knowledge is by cultivating relationships. The relationships that brokers create with their clients, coworkers and their communities give them invaluable insight into upcoming listings, market trends, and can just make your life a whole lot easier.
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Another advantage is the potential of being able to offer your home to an expanded network outside the Vail Valley. This brings added value to you as a seller and buyer. These relationships can span the globe and align outside market buyers with vetted referrals, a benefit for sellers in a market such as Vail which attract buyers from all over the world.
Beyond broker relationships
Locally based, experienced brokers also have close relationships with other professionals that provide services, which can be overlooked by sellers and buyers. These relationships are often critical because doing business with trusted local lenders, home inspectors, and trade businesses are essential in a real estate transaction.
An experienced real estate professional will have a trusted network of vendors they can rely on and recommend to their clients. It also provides considerable peace of mind for buyers and sellers, knowing that the broker(s) in their corner are professionals with the experience and know how to close their sale and purchase on time.
Knowing the market is more than just reading the MLS sheets or doing on-line searches. To really understand a market a broker needs to be out every day looking at properties and cultivating relationships with other brokers and lenders. Doing this gives top brokers the edge in knowing how to price a listing and how to assist a buyer, both of which are major factors to the success of any transaction.
Tisa Olsen and Scooter Slaughter are top-tier, award-winning broker associates for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colorado Properties. Their honors include Chairman’s Circle Gold for Beaver Creek Lodge-based Olsen and Chairman’s Circle Platinum for Gypsum-based Slaughter and The Slaughter Group, which also includes Laurie Slaughter and Dana Hyatt. These achievements place them in the top 2% and 1% respectively among the more than 50,000+ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brokers nationwide. They can be reached at tisaolsen@bhhsvail.net or 970-471-1800 or scooter@bhhsvail.net or 970-471-0645.