Michigan Real Estate

In this era of globalization, we need to be able find more opportunities overseas. We all know that property is a very prospective investment asset. But for most people, investing on property overseas is too much hassle and they are hesitating about possible handicaps and risks. Realty Executives International could help you eliminate those handicaps and makes everything’s easier.
Realty Executives International is the world’s leading real estate agency specializing in long distance buying. This agency has been serving home buyers and home sellers in many countries all over the world with excellent reputation. Their executives are highly expert Realtor dedicated with their professional work. They have extensive knowledge about world property market and willing to provide the best solution for their clients.
You can easily find available property to sale at your desired location using the advanced search engine available on Realty Executives International’s homepage. With huge numbers of property listings, it won’t be difficult to find what you need. Their realty executives will help you find the right property and give professional advice to meet your investment goal. They will take cares all matters to make sure that you won’t find any hassle. This is the best name you can trust for long distance property buying.

Keller Williams Realty, Inc.,the third-largest real estate franchise operation in the United States, recently named prominent Palo Alto realtor Ken DeLeon as the second most productive individual agent (based on 2009 sales volume in dollars) in the entire company out of over 71,000 agents. The honor was announced by Keller Williams’ CEO Mark Willis at the company’s annual “Family Reunion” convention held this year in New Orleans, La.  DeLeon’s 2009 outstanding sales performance of million also garnered him the esteemed Triple Platinum Medallion Award, which was awarded to only two agents in the company. 

“I am honored to receive these awards and be recognized for the success I have achieved in just my seventh year of practicing real estate,” says DeLeon. “My goal is not to stop here, but to be the #1 agent within the next two to three years by continuing to provide my clients in Silicon Valley and beyond with the highest level of expertise, educational insight and, of course, unparalleled service.” 

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During the “Family Reunion” conference, which is the largest private franchise real estate conference in the nation, DeLeon was featured on several educational panels. Additionally, DeLeon was interviewed by Gary Keller, the co-founder of Keller Williams, in front of 800 agents about his success and how he overcame major adversity he has faced in life.

About Ken DeLeon:

Ken DeLeon began his successful career in residential real estate after leaving the practice of law in 2002.  This Palo Alto, Calif., resident is the #1 Keller Williams realtor in Northern California (out of over 3,600 agents) and is named in the Wall Street Journal’s 2009 list of the top 100 realtors in the country.  He has recently beaten cancer and is a survivor of a 1998 drugged-driver accident. DeLeon seeks to inspire others by speaking frequently to businesses and schools about his experiences and how to come through difficult times with a positive outlook.  For more information about Ken DeLeon, please call 650-380-1420 or visit www.kendeleon.com.

About Keller Williams Realty, Inc.:

Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is the third-largest real estate franchise operation in the United States, with 669 offices and more than 71,000 associates in the United States and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1990, has an agent-centric culture that emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partners. The company also provides specialized agents in luxury homes and commercial real estate properties. For more information, or to search for homes for sale visit Keller Williams Realty online at www.kw.com. 

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Realtors who want to do short sales can potentially do well in the current market, but there is a problem. Doing short sales really takes time away from what Realtors should be doing. Realtors should be helping regular sellers sell their properties and helping buyers buy properties. Realtors should partner with companies that specialize in the short sale process

　

Here is the problem. A short sale includes two steps that are not found in a regular real estate sale. And most Realtors are not trained to perform these steps.

Let’s look at the structure of a short sale:

- Acquisition

- Negotiation

- Sale to buyer

　

The acquisition and negotiation steps are the culprits. These steps require the Realtor to interact with the short-sale lender. This interaction doesn’t occur in a “normal sale.”

Look a “normal sale” first.

In a “normal sale,” the Realtor usually follows the following steps.

The Realtor signs a listing agreement with a seller and lists the seller’s property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The Realtor also uses various means to market the property.

- Buyers make offers (usually through other Realtors) to buy the property.

- The listing Realtor presents all offers to the seller who selects the most appealing offer.

- The process then moves through escrow to closing.

These are not complicated steps.

Now with the short sale, things are different. The value of the property is less than the amount the owner (seller) owes on the loan. This creates some selling problems.

Buyers will not buy the property for an amount that will help the owner cover the existing liens and closing costs.

There is no way the Realtor ( a business person) can make a commission (business income).

What now?

The Realtor finds out about short sales and how the “short-sale lender” may take less than what the owner owes on the property. But there is a procedure.

This procedure involves those two steps I mentioned earlier: Acquisition and Negotiation.

Acquisition: So the Realtor stops doing what he or she normally does (finding properties to list and/or buyers of properties) and enters the acquisition phase of the short-sale process. Acquisition means Buyer

The owner fills out lots of documents to convince the “short-sale lender” that the owner’s hardship prevents the owner from paying his or her loan. This is the short-sale package.

But one thing is missing! An offer to buy the property.

You see, the complete package must contain an offer from a buyer to buy the “distressed” property. And the listing Realtor does not have any offers yet.

Of course, the Realtor can put a price in the listing without having an offer. But that price has nothing to do with reality. And the listing will no doubt include the words, “lender approval necessary” or some words like those.

But suppose that price attracts some interest from buyers whose Realtors send offers to the listing Realtor.

Now the Listing Realtor can send a complete short-sale package to the short-sale lender.

This takes us to the next step and MORE UNPRODUCTIVE TIME, Negotiation.

Negotiation: Lenders usually have a department called Loss Mitigation. A loss mitigator is assigned to the short-sale package and this person’s job is to “mitigate” (lessen) the lender’s loss.

The Loss Mitigation departments of lenders vary in their procedures, but one thing is for certain. They consume irreplaceable Time.

But stop here for a moment. This is not really about the Loss Mitigation departments of the lenders. It is about Realtors.

How much time has the Realtor spent attempting to assist this owner in default?

Some Realtors spend 20 hours or more on a short sale. And the outcome very often is not successful and the property goes to foreclosure.

In the end, lots of time (which is money) is wasted, especially because the Realtor was not pursuing tried-and-true money-making activities.

Thankfully, all is not doom and gloom, for there are companies that will help the Realtor and take away the pain. The Realtor still controls his or her listing through closing and gets the commission.

Do I really need a Realtor® to buy a home?

 

 

As a full time Realtor®, I get asked this question all the time.  It’s a great question after all.  With all the information so available online, many people believe they don’t really need an agent to purchase a home.  There are certainly an ample number of stories of buyers who “go it alone” and do perfectly well purchasing without representation.  Unfortunately, there are many more stories of buyers making huge mistakes because they didn’t initially see the need to have a Realtor® represent them.  If you’ve found yourself pondering this same question, here are a few reasons you may want to at least consider hiring a professional Realtor®:

 

1)          Code of Ethics   

I hope you noticed that I said Realtor® and not real estate agent.  There is a difference.  All Realtors® are licensed to sell real estate as an agent or broker, but not all real estate agents are Realtors®.  In order to display the Realtor® logo, we must be members of the National Association of Realtors® and pledge to follow a Code of Ethics.  This code establishes a level of conduct that is higher than ordinary business practices or those required by law.  Only about half of all licensees are Realtors®.

 

2)          Experience

You don’t have to know everything there is to know about buying real estate as long as you hire the right person.  Most Realtors® specialize in a certain part of town or in a certain type of real estate.  For example, some agents work with first time homebuyers, or the condo market or luxury homebuyers, etc.  You get my drift.  Pick a Realtor® that knows the market and earns their living working with clients in real estate.  You will find that your Realtor® may not know everything, but they will know where to find out any information you need.

 

3)          Neighborhood Expert

Realtors® have access to all kinds of information about neighborhoods.  Not only can we find comparable sales in the area to insure you are not paying too much for the home, we can usually find out what kind of upgrades those homes had and if any contracts fell through during the process.  I talk to fellow Realtors® all the time about market trends and houses currently on the market.  We can also guide you to other sources to find out crime statistics, demographics or information on schools.

 

4)          Price Guidance and Market Conditions

Contrary to popular belief, we do not provide the suggested selling price or tell buyers what to offer.  Having said that, we do have a vested interest in seeing that the house sells.  We can do a market analysis and determine how long homes in the area have been on the market, what the ratios of list-to-sold prices have been or even the price per square foot if needed.  All of this information will have a big impact on what you as a buyer ultimately decide to do.

 

5)          Networking

Realtors® tend to have a large network of professionals they can refer that will assist you with obtaining financing, home inspections, pest control, minor repairs, etc.  Typically, these are professionals with whom the agent has a history and feels comfortable recommending.

 

6)          Negotiating Skills

Unlike most buyers and sellers, Realtors® can remove themselves from the emotional aspects of the transaction.  We use this skill every day in a variety of situations and it’s our job to maintain the level head in the deal.  In addition, we are bound to keep your information confidential which enhances your negotiating position.

 

7)          Paperwork

Take a look at any folder being carried about by a Realtor®.  It will be somewhere between 1 inch and 3 inches thick.  This folder contains all the executed contracts, amendments, disclosure statements, exhibits, termite letters, inspection reports, instructions to closing attorneys and financing information for a single transaction.  One omission could land you in court or allow the deal to fall through with no consequences to the offending party.

 

8)          Post Closing Questions

No matter how smoothly a transaction is, there may still be questions that come up weeks or months after the closing.  Any Realtor® worth their salt will be available after closing to point you in the right direction for getting your questions answered.  We do it to maintain a relationship with a good client for referrals and future business and we do it because it’s the right thing to do.

 

Well, there you have it.  Eight reasons for selecting a Realtor® when buying a home.  Just remember that real estate is what we do all day every day. 

In anything you do, having well-informed assistance can make the difference. When you consider all the variables of personality, business style, and abilities that go into the equation it may seem too hard to get the right Realtor to work with you and do the best job. This article presents a guide to the process. Here are some common mistakes that are all to easy to make, based on old assumptions and perceptions. Avoid these traps and you’ll have an easier time.Failing to Ask About The Realtor’s Qualifications and Experience
You have to be bold in asking ask questions concerning your potential agent’s experience in the business. Inquiries about how long they have been in the field, length of time with the firm and any type of realty specialties they may have in their resume are all good ones. An experienced Realtor might mention professional designations or awards they have received in the business, and these are worth noting.The Perception That Only Big Realty Companies Have the Best Agents
Some who are looking for a Realtor may think that the big realty companies will have all of the best real estate agents. Although they may have some excellent people on board, it is advisable to evaluate small real estate firms as well as larger ones when looking around for someone to represent you.Being Afraid to Ask What Compensation Your Realtor Will Receive
Prior to selecting a Realtor, it is important to ask about what they will receive for the work. Every Realtor representing a seller will charge a certain percentage of the ultimate sale price as their fee for selling the home. It is important to ensure that the percentage is competitive. The fee can also be too low; an offer to sell your home for low fee will likely leave you short when it comes to service. A buyer’s agent, incidentally, is paid from the proceeds of the sale, out of the commission amount set by the seller. For this reason, if you are a buyer, there is no extra cost for having an agent represent you.Choosing With Insufficient Information
Don’t just choose the first Realtor you meet. Following your first impression may be OK in some circumstances, but without an appropriate level of research that quick impression can wilt like a bloom. Some people are so anxious to buy or sell a home that they find someone’s name and immediately go with that individual without ever reviewing their other options. This is a common mistake which anyone looking for good representation in a real estate transaction should avoid.Ask Questions
The last mistake which anyone shopping for an agent should avoid is hesitating to ask the Realtors being interviewed a lot of questions. Sometimes people feel as if they are being too much trouble and do not want to ask too many questions regarding the fees, procedures, and other things about the potential relationship. Asking questions is the only way to really know if you’ve selected the one who will be best for you.

A good realestate agent will help you find your dream property. Remember when you make your first appointment with a real estate agent their goal is to learn as much as possible about you. Your goal should be to learn as much as possible about them.

A realestate agent will most likely have tools available to show you the most current listings. It might be a special software. It might be a tool that quickly calculates your possible payment rates with accompanying easy to understand clarifications of all the portions of your payment.

The important common thread to all these tools is that they are all designed to sell. Sales is essentially the same for real estate as it is for cars, diamond rings, or furniture etc. If you listen closely you will detect the common thread of “looking for a yes”.

Basically most realtors are bright, well trained, capable individuals. They come equipped with all the tools their real estate broker can provide them. So what is the skill set that a realtor should possess that would set them apart from all the rest?

That skill set is almost certainly well developed listening skills. If you find your real estate agent talking more than you maybe that person doesn’t have listening skills. How do you know for sure your real estate agent is a good listener and why is that so important?

The quickest way to determine your realtor’s listening skills is with a test. Sometimes if you are looking for listening skills you will know right away that a particular person does not listen well. Anyway the test is to carefully identify a few specific items you find important in a home. Those might be a large master, quiet neighborhoods, a south facing view etc. It doesn’t have to be a long list because just like the salesperson may be sorting customers, you should be sorting realtors.

Give a list to a prospective realtor. Have them email you 4-5 homes that may fit your needs. If your prospective realtor has good listening skills the homes presented will meet your list of features. If some of the homes do not closely fit than your prospective realtor is more of a salesperson than a listener. This person strives to convince you that a house will work for you. This real estate agent is normally very smooth at this. That is why it is important for you to understand you need a real estate agent with good listening skills or you will be convinced by that person what to buy rather than buying what you started out to buy.

This may seem obvious but in reality by not shopping for a real estate agent with this all important skill in mind, often times the sales oriented real estate agent exercises too strong of influences on what one actually ends up buying.

Ever felt that your real estate agent or broker wasn’t doing his job and you wanted to “fire” him? Usually firing him is often as simple as paying a penalty of $250 or less, but you have to carefully read the “termination clause” in his Listing Agreement. Have your attorney review it and, if necessary, go directly to the Board of Realtors® in your state if he is uncooperative.

Firing your realtor® usually requires a certified letter to the realtor® and/or his broker (boss) and may have additional requirements in some states to be legally binding on both parties. If you don’t get a “Signed Release” you might have to pay double commissions at your closing. A simple “It hasn’t worked, you didn’t perform as expected” should be enough when he asks why he is being fired. We have seen realtors® file liens against properties for unearned commissions even before a sale was made just to keep the homeowner from firing him.

Should you find a buyer during the Listing Period and you fire your realtor® to save the commission, you can expect to get sued and may lose in court. This is the same as telling a perspective buyer to come back after the expiration of the Listing Agreement to get a better price. Are you sure that buyer isn’t another realtor®? It may be costly to find out. Treat other people as you would like to be treated.

You may have had a misunderstanding of how a realtor® works when you signed the Listing Agreement, especially if an unscrupulous realtor® wants a listing badly enough, he may overstate the value of the property so the homeowner signs with him. This practice is called “buying the listing” and can be very hurtful to homeowners because their property doesn’t sell and stays on the market too long without offers.

Realtors® do not sell houses, they sell listings to homeowners, and the realtor® with the most listings, gets the most houses sold by other realtors®. It is industry knowledge that realtors® personally sell about 5% of what they list, but get paid on almost 65% of what they list because of other realtors selling their listings. Successful listing agents are often fired because they aren’t selling properties as such, just listings.

Generally, if you change realtors®, your MLS® listing will be pulled because you are no longer represented by a seller’s broker. An alternative to paying a full service agent, is to use a “flat-fee” MLS® listing agent and save ½ or more of the commission. A real benefit of this new MLS® listing is that your DOM (days on the market) counter starts over at zero and your listing appears on the “Just Listed” wire flash.

How could this unpleasantness been avoided? First, a homeowner should take it upon himself to determine the fair market value of his home. The key here is to not get an appraisal where the appraiser simply does a “drive by” and doesn’t see the interior of your property. With this limited information, he will evaluate your home based solely on the information he finds in the public record. The information in the public record does not take into account any internal improvements to your home or its condition, so ask for a “full appraisal”. Determining the fair market value of your home is critically important in selling your home whether you use a realtor® or if you do your own sale as a For Sale By Owner or “FSBO” to save the commissions.

Secondly, if you choose to use a realtor®, you should interview at least five to see what they offer. Look at their advertising package, its frequency, their experience, and their personal sales of their own listings. Just listing in the MLS®, on Realtor.com®, a yard sign, an occasional open house, and a listing in free magazines, is not enough. You can do all these forms of advertising yourself at much less than one-half percent (½ %) of your home’s value. If you are told by a realtor® that he has a buyer for your property, but won’t show your property unless you list with him, offer to sign a “single listing” agreement for his specific client only.

Thirdly, read the cancellation clause and have your attorney review it before you sign any Listing Agreement. A little time spent here can save you thousands of dollars later. Serious reasons for termination can include misrepresentation, acting in bad faith, or even fraud.

In summary, be in continuing contact with your realtor® and if you are unsatisfied with his performance, tell him so. If he is unresponsive to your requests, especially for an “Open House”, fire him immediately. If you do fire your realtor®, always get a Cancellation Letter or Signed Release so you know you are free to sell your home without paying a double commission.

Probably the largest single purchase that an individual will make in their lifetime is buying a house. It amazes me how many people will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars without getting the professional advice of a realtor. It costs nothing to work with a reputable agent who can guide you through the complicated process of buying a home, and quite possibly may save you considerable money and stress in the end.

Selling a house can be more stressful than buying a home, and sellers can be quick to sacrifice using the services of a professional, to avoid paying a commission. A home owner needs to wear many hats in order to sell a home effectively. They need to have a good sense of design, as the house has to be show worthy; they need to be marketers and pay for the expensive ads required to merchandise their home; they need a good working knowledge of the real estate market, as the selling price needs to be realistic (not too high or too low); and there are legal concerns that must be dealt with as well. This is a complex process, and you don’t want to sacrifice getting the best price for your house or becoming involved in an unnecessary legal battle, due to lack of experience.

Here are a few ways you can benefit from working with a realtor:

Professional Experience: You could stumble through your house transaction; learning as you go, or you can tap into your agent’s knowledge and professional experience. Let them assist you by walking you through the buying and selling experience, ensuring that you are meeting your goals, discussing your financial options and advising you of your legal rights and obligations. If they don’t have all the answers, they can quickly direct you to the person who does.

Pricing: This is their business, a professional agent is aware of the current market, when the best times are to buy and whether you are paying a fair price. When selling a house, they will provide you with comparative studies to ensure you are selling your house at the best price for your market.

Networking: Drawing on a realtor’s networking resources can be an invaluable tool for a prospective home buyer. Through dealings with other realtors, they may learn about new properties coming up, or get little known facts for the buyer that the seller has not divulged.

I remember shopping for my current home; it was perfect, but the owner was selling it along with a parcel of land, and as a result, it was out of my price range. My agent discovered that the seller had three previous deals that had fallen through due to lack of financing, and may consider an offer on the house, minus the property. This strategy worked; I got my dream house, for a lower price than I expected, and the seller sold her house and soon after, her parcel of land. This turned into a win-win situation for everyone, thanks to the advice of a good realtor.

Marketing: A professional realtor will look after marketing your home by providing signage, placing ads in the local papers, advertising on the internet, submitting your property to a Multiple Listing Service and organizing open houses. They will often take detailed photos and/or videos of every room for viewing on the internet. A reputable agent, with an effective web site, often has a regular following of prospective buyers viewing the site.

A good realtor will also advise you on home improvements before you sell; how much is too much, and what sort of return you’ll get for your renovating dollars. They can give you valuable staging advice and provide simple tips for improving the showing of your home.

Negotiation Skills: Probably most important of all, is the realtor’s role as negotiator on your behalf. The goal is to sell your home quickly, for the highest price possible, and they work closely with you to complete this process. This also includes providing the legal contracts and negotiating offers and counter-offers.

If not executed properly, what may seem like a simple real estate transaction can turn into a nightmare. Anyone who has experienced this understands the importance of using a professional agent to protect their assets and guide them through the sale or purchase of their home. Let your agent work for you to ensure your new home transaction is a positive one.

Okay, yes, admittedly an article entitled “Why You Need a Realtor” written by a Realtor might seem a little suspect on the surface, but if you don’t know all the facts, you can’t make an informed decision. So sit back, kick your feet up, and decide for yourself whether or not you need a Realtor.

I’m always a little surprised to find that buyers think they are the ones that pay the Realtors’ commission, but I think that’s much like a rocket scientist being astonished that people don’t know the difference between orbital and celestial mechanics and how Kepler’s equation can be used as a fundamental technique in both fields!

Though some Realtors now charge buyers a fee (call it an administrative fee or doc fee or whatever), it’s nominal. Basically, buyers get free representation. What that representation entails is this: everything! Our services fall just short of holding your hand while you go to the toilet.

We’ve got “connections” you wouldn’t believe, and we can give you the name of at least two reputable lenders were sure won’t give you the runaround too late in the loan process.

As your Realtor, we’ll meet you at your convenience and talk with you about the process and the steps involved in buying a home. If you have any questions or concerns, we’re there to answer them. We’ll help you develop criteria to make your search efforts more effective. We know the neighborhoods, the best route and drive time if you live here but work there, the benefits and drawbacks of older versus newer homes, whether or not they have plans to build a Super Wal-Mart where that old grocery store used to be, what area is best for resale, and more.

Once the criteria has been established, we’ll start sending you homes, whether as an automated search on the MLS or hand-delivering them to you one batch at a time. After picking your favorites and a day you want to see them, we’ll really get to work. We have to put the homes in the order best traveled, figure out how long it’s going to take to view each home and what the driving time is between properties, then call the listing agents and set up the appointments.

As licensed Realtors, we’re required to have Errors and Omissions insurance, but that insurance does not cover clients sitting in our car as were blasting through a guardrail while eating, talking on the phone and writing down directions, so many Realtors are now encouraging buyers to follow them in their own cars instead.

At each home is when our senses go into overdrive. We are constantly on the lookout for water stains and foundational cracks and our noses alert to mildew and pet odors. On a beautiful spring day, you may not notice that the sunroom has no HVAC, but we do. You may miss the fact that there are no noticeable laundry hook-ups, but we won’t. Experience has taught us to look closely, and we do.

Once you’ve found your dream home, your Realtor will do some research. How long has it been on the market? Why are they selling? What did they pay for it originally and what updates or renovations were made since then?

Based on the information revealed by your Realtor, you’ll write an offer. More accurately, your Realtor will write the offer for you. We’ve got all the documents you will ever need to purchase a home. Contracts, addendums, addendums to addendums . . . and we know how and when to use them. We will ask you all the questions necessary to make the offer valid and legal, specifying where to initial and on which dotted line to sign. We’ll go over each and every paragraph, encapsulating them for you into bite-size pieces. We’ll present the offer to the listing agent, who will present it to the seller. Then we’ll negotiate on your behalf.

Negotiating is a fine-tuned instrument. Everything factors into play, from nuances in a voice to how the property is presented. An added bonus to having representation at this stage of the game is that if you want to play good cop/bad cop, we’ll be the bad cop!

Once your offer is accepted and becomes a full-fledged contract, we’ve got both home and pest inspectors that we can recommend and you can trust. We’ll schedule the inspections based on your availability. If we can’t be there for at least some portion of the inspections, we’ll go over the inspection reports with you to determine which repairs to ask for. Again, it’s a negotiation.

Then we prepare for closing. You have a problem? You have a question or concern? You want to find a good painter? You want to view the home one more time to take photos and measurements? Call your Realtor.

About a week or so before closing, your Realtor will remind you to have your utilities either turned on or switched over to your name. Your Realtor will also be in touch with the listing agent and lender to see that things are running smoothly on those ends.

Sometime before closing, your Realtor will receive the settlement statement from the closing agent and be able to review it for accuracy. If you’ve already paid the pest inspector but it shows up as a closing cost, we’ll take care of it.

At closing is not when our job is done. It never really is. We are always available to answer questions and help solve problems.

And when it comes time to sell your home, we’re there for you too!

To have or not to have a realtor license, that is the question. And the logical answer really depends on your situation, mainly:
1. Do I live in a market where homes are valued very highly (average sale price is $200,000 or greater)?
2. Do I intend to live in the same house for many years, or will I be moving often?
3. Do I have the need and/or the desire to obtain additional income?
4. Do I want to mess with the hassle, and how much trouble would it be to get a realtor license?
5. Does it cost an exorbitant amount of money to take the classes and pass the test?
Question #1 is probably the most important question to answer. With the typical realtor cost of 6% per sale of a home, a $200,000 house will cost you $12,000 just in realtor fees. Compared with the $1000-$2000 cost of obtaining a realtor license, logic says to take the classes and get licensed, even if just to sell your own home. But beyond the cost savings, what does a realtor really do you for you? Mainly they just list the house in the MLS, put a sign in the yard, and wait for the buyer to show up. Then they fill in the blanks on a simple promulgated real estate contract form, and collect their fee.
The answer to Question #2 has its roots in Question #1, cost savings. For the continual mover, it only makes to defray as much of the cost of selling real estate as possible. But if you are planning on selling just one more time, then staying in the new house for many years, it may not be worth the hassle to get a realtor license.
Question #3 is where the ambitious person lives. The desire to gain additional income and/or to get free of a job. If this is your goal, definitely consider getting a realtor license.
Question #4 is for the procrastinator. It really does not take that much to obtain a realtor license. One could do an online course in as little as a few weeks, take the exam, pay the fees, and become a realtor. So it really comes down to just taking action. If you want the cost savings of selling your own house, additional income or to be free from your job, getting a realtor license is a great start.
Question #5 is directed at the skeptic. The costs of getting a realtor license are not high, maybe $1000-$2000 or less in many states, and there are almost always online schools as well as instructor lead courses available. It is just simply a matter of wanting to go further in life, and taking steps to get there.
So unless you just want to sell your house once, buy another house, and live there until you drop dead, it makes sense to have a realtor license. Especially in the high housing cost areas like California, New York, Florida, Chicago, and others. Realtor licenses just aren’t that difficult to obtain, and really can make an amazing difference in your life.