Realtor Mythbuster

Some people hold the caricature of a Realtor, always talking on their telephone, driving a big, nice car, and making money by showing a couple of people a few houses and showing up at the closing to get a big, fat check.....

OK, time to debunk some of these myths....

1. Yes, Realtors are always on their telephone, hopefully working.....with contradicts the fact that we do little work...While it can appear that the agent only showed up to show a few houses and fill in a contract, there are many hours and a lot of hard work that went into those meetings. Through a transaction, your Realtor will have read hundreds of pages, talked to numerous people, and navigated you through dozens of difficult questions and issues.

2. Not all Realtors drive big, nice, cars! I have a Volkswagen, but I am learning that if someone doesn't follow in their own vehicle, then you need a nice size car to drive your clients around!

3. Average Realtors make only about $48,000 a year! Yes, there are some "power agents" that make more, but we are NOT paid a salary....we work for a broker as a INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR meaning that if a buyer does not buy a house, WE DO NOT GET PAID. We are a service industry, so your agent should be responsive to your needs, but understand that we have to work very strategically. No only do we not have a salary, but we have to pay office fees, association fees, continuing education classes, all supplies (including signs, supra keys, lock boxes, advertising, etc.). Now I am not complaining----all small business owners have their costs. It is all part of doing business.

I wanted to let you into the world of a real estate agent to understand our perspective----It is best that a potential buyer be pre-qualified for a loan amount so that your Realtor is not driving you all over town only to find out you can't buy a house. Why list a home for a client to only have it priced so high that it cannot get any showings, (i.e. no contract)?

For some people they have had a bad Realtor experience....I am sorry to hear that. Before using a Realtor, ask for referrals, as you would with most contractors. Talk to your friends for referrals, and ask your Realtor the hard questions to make sure you trust them.

If you have any questions or comments, write me at audrey@audreybutlerhomes.com~