Posts Tagged ‘Realtor’

Buying Land – 6 Reasons To Use A Realtor

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Find an experienced, trustworthy realtor and let them help you find your land, and guide you through the land buying process. A Realtor is your best friend during this process and will walk you through it from beginning to end. They will help you avoid many of the pitfalls and problems that arise when buying land.

The Realtor Is Free!

The realtor is paid a commission from the sale of the property. The commission is paid by the seller so you use a realtor for free. You don’t have to use the realtor who listed and advertises the property. Choose the realtor you want, the payment will be worked out between the two realtors, and you will have the realtors services for free.

The Realtor Will Help You Find The Right Property

A realtor has access to the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service) which lists all the property for sale by realtors in the area. Using the MLS the realtor can find properties that meet your criteria and take you to those properties. Many MLS’s are now listed on Realtor.com, where anyone can view them, but the realtor is an expert at using this information to find the land you are looking for.

The Realtor Will Do the Work For You

The Realtor will do most of the work involved in finding and purchasing property. A real estate purchase transaction is a complicated procedure which involves many details as well as many people. In most cases the transaction will be easier and much smoother if a realtor is involved in the process.

The Realtor Will Help You Pay A Fair Price For Land

One problem for buyers is paying too much for land. It is difficult to know what the land is really worth. Because realtors deal with many parcels of land they know approximately what a specific parcel of land is worth. 
In my line of work I have observed those who use a realtor usually buy land at a fair price. Keep in mind the realtor who listed a parcel of land has an obligation to sell for the highest price since they represent the seller.

The Realtor Will Show You The Property

The realtor knows the local area and will help you find the land you are looking for. Looking for land may involve driving down back roads without directions or street signs. The realtor will take you to the properties you want to look at, and the areas you want to look in.

Often a piece of land does not have an address or directions. Sometimes you will need to read legal descriptions and topographical maps. The realtor has experience in reading these and can take you right to the property, and show you the property boundaries.

The Realtor Will Help You Avoid Many Problems

Using a realtor will help you avoid many of the problems experienced by land buyers. Many of these problems don’t arise until after the purchase. There are many possible problems, too many to mention, but include such things as: road issues, water rights, mineral rights, etc. Save yourself from many problems and use an experienced, trustworthy realtor.

Why Use a REALTOR

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime. Transactions today usually exceed 0,000. If you had a 0,000 income tax problem, would you attempt to deal with it without the help of a CPA? If you had a 0,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney? Considering the small upside cost and the large downside risk, it would be foolish to consider a deal in real estate without the professional assistance of a REALTOR®.

But if you’re still not convinced of the value of a REALTOR®, here are a dozen more reasons to use one:

1. Your REALTOR® can help you determine your buying power — that is, your financial reserves plus your borrowing capacity. If you give a REALTOR® some basic information about your available savings, income and current debt, he or she can refer you to lenders best qualified to help you. Most lenders — banks and mortgage companies — offer limited choices.

2. Your REALTOR® has many resources to assist you in your home search. Sometimes the property you are seeking is available but not actively advertised in the market, and it will take some investigation by your agent to find all available properties.

3. Your REALTOR® can assist you in the selection process by providing objective information about each property. Agents who are REALTORS® have access to a variety of informational resources. REALTORS® can provide local community information on utilities, zoning. Schools, etc. There are two things you’ll want to know. First, will the property provide the environment I want for a home or investment? Second, will the property have resale value when I am ready to sell?

4. Your REALTOR® can help you negotiate. There are myriad negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession and often the inclusion or exclusion of repairs and furnishings or equipment. The purchase agreement should provide a period of time for you to complete appropriate inspections and investigations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase. Your agent can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required.

5. Your REALTOR® provides due diligence during the evaluation of the property. Depending on the area and property, this could include inspections for termites, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, roof condition, septic tank and well tests, just to name a few. Your REALTOR® can assist you in finding qualified responsible professionals to do most of these investigations and provide you with written reports. You will also want to see a preliminary report on the title of the property. Title indicates ownership of property and can be mired in confusing status of past owners or rights of access. The title to most properties will have some limitations; for example, easements (access rights) for utilities. Your REALTOR®, Title Company or attorney can help you resolve issues that might cause problems at a later date.

6. Your REALTOR® can help you in understanding different financing options and in identifying qualified lenders.

7. Your REALTOR® can guide you through the closing process and make sure everything flows together smoothly.

8. When selling your home, your REALTOR® can give you up-to-date information on what is happening in the marketplace and the price, financing, terms and condition of competing properties. These are key factors in getting your property sold at the best price, quickly and with minimum hassle.

9. Your REALTOR® markets your property to other real estate agents and the public. Often, your REALTOR® can recommend repairs or cosmetic work that will significantly enhance the salability of your property. Your REALTOR® markets your property to other real estate agents and the public. In many markets across the country, over 50% of real estate sales are cooperative sales; that is, a real estate agent other than yours brings in the buyer. Your REALTOR® acts as the marketing coordinator, disbursing information about your property to other real estate agents through a Multiple Listing Service or other cooperative marketing networks, open houses for agents, etc. The REALTOR® Code of Ethics requires REALTORS® to utilize these cooperative relationships when they benefit their clients.

10. Your REALTOR® will know when, where, and how, to advertise your property. There is a misconception that advertising sells real estate. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® studies show that 82% of real estate sales are the result of agent contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, family and personal contacts. When a property is marketed with the help of your REALTOR®, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. Your REALTOR® will generally prescreen and accompany qualified prospects through your property.

11. Your REALTOR® can help you objectively evaluate every buyer’s proposal without compromising your marketing position. This initial agreement is only the beginning of a process of appraisals, inspections and financing — a lot of possible pitfalls. Your REALTOR® can help you write a legally binding, win-win agreement that will be more likely to make it through the process.

12. Your REALTOR® can help close the sale of your home. Between the initial sales agreement and closing (or settlement), questions may arise. For example, unexpected repairs are required to obtain financing or a cloud in the title is discovered. The required paperwork alone is overwhelming for most sellers. Your REALTOR® is the best person to objectively help you resolve these issues and move the transaction to closing (or settlement).

How to find the best realtor in Colorado

Sunday, December 19th, 2010

Finding a realtor in Colorado is easy but whether the realtor is the best in his category cannot be decided until you get a scope to work with him. So in search for the best realtor in Colorado we need to find out the trade experts realtors with proven success records about customer satisfaction and dealing experience for intricate property matters. Superior Colorado Realtors are found with general expertise who can guide a client about the requirements of documents and other issues in a purchase deal. It is always better and safe to work with superior realtors because these realtors can guide about a purchase, they simple do not execute a deal like other common realtors of market.

For example, a Louisville Realtor can conduct a sale or purchase deal with professional efficiency but a Superior Realtor from Louisville real estate market can guide a client about the pros and cons of a sale and purchase deal with his latest industry knowledge and relevant insight.

Finding the best realtor is not tough if you depend on the credential, market report, existing or old customers’ satisfaction level etc. about a realtor. The word of mouth also works as fantastic resource for finding a competent realtor for your purpose. It is always wise to contact realtors from local real estate market for example, for Louisville property dealing one should search his realtor within Louisville realtors’ list and for Boulder property matters Boulder realtors will have better and professional expertise.

It is always wise and recommended to browse different websites of expert and reputed realtors before signing a deal with one of them. Although a well maintained website is not the whole issue about the reputation of a realtors but still the get-up somehow reveals the underlying success story of the concerned person or the concerned company.

It is always good to do the cross checking with the local business directory while finding the names and contact details of the reputed and expert real estate agents or realtors; for example, if you are searching for a reputed Lafayette Realtor, you should check the local business directory of Lafayette, the reputed and well known realtors will definitely be listed here.

The database published by Superior Colorado Realtors Association works as a good resource for finding a competent and expert realtor for managing your property dealings. The member realtors of this association are ranked as superior realtors and superior realtors, in general, are especially honored in real estate market for their exclusive and efficient trade expertise and detail knowledge.

The nature of job or assistance you are asking from your realtor decides the best suitable realtors for you. For example, some realtors may have proven expertise in dealing with foreclosure purchases and some realtors maintain their expertise in executing sale and purchase deals as well as resale cases of commercial properties. Some realtors work more on villa and condos whereas some realtors work mainly with luxury apartments. You need to select the best realtors depending on the nature of your tasks.

 

Real Estate Bpo Blogs – Seven Secrets That Keep This Realtor Up At Night

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Real Estate Bpo Blogs

Being a Realtor is not like it used to be a few years ago. Now, in addition to being experts in marketing homes, we have to be highly skilled webmasters, too. My day job is marketing my listings, my night job is marketing my web site. I go from closing to copywriting, from public relations to page rank, from BPO’s to SEO. Why is this necessary? Well, its like this…. Real Estate Bpo Blogs

Secret # 1: Google must like you.

I depend on my web site for a constant supply of business. It works pretty well. People get to know us there, and they get to like us, and they are often motivated to call us for help in buying or selling a home. But before they can get to know us, and get to like us, Google has to get to know us first. And Google has to like us.

Secret #2: Google only likes you if other people like you.

So how does Google know if other people like you? Well, if they like you, or at least respect you, they sometimes put a link on their site pointing to your site. Well, after a while, a lot of people figured out that they could pretend to be in love, and just exchange links. But, rumor has is that Google has caught on to these marriages of convenience. So now reciprocal links may not be a reliable way to show how well liked you are.

Secret #3: People might like you if you give them something.

This secret has been out for awhile. But what can we give people? Well, we can give them some content for their websites. Not everyone can create content for their websites. Some people are content challenged. These folks presumably go to places on the internet where content is offered for free, and help themselves. There is a thing called RSS – real simple syndication – a tool folks can download onto their websites. Under a headline like, “What’s New,” a stream of fresh real estate news, blogs and articles can flow through their site. Pretty good for a busy webmaster. Here is where we come in. We can supply this material in the form of articles. These articles have our name at the bottom, and a link pointing to our site. We get their unrequited love and one-way link – and that is a good sign that we are, indeed, popular.

Secret #4: Google likes you better if people, who are in your same business, like you.

Over the past year, I have written eight articles. I sent these articles to some sites that are depositories of potential web site material – where people can come and help themselves. Of course, when my articles are placed on these sites I have a link back from them. But, they are not in the real estate business. So, a link from them is not so hot. They may like me, but they are not like me. What I really want is for some real estate related sites to borrow my articles and embellish their own sites. And, surprisingly enough, some have. Real Estate Bpo Blogs

Secret #5: Google likes you even more if people, who are more important than you, like you.

So how do you find these more important people? Same way you find anything. Just Google on a certain phrase and see who is on the first few pages. I emailed my article on “real estate inspections” to the top 20 websites listed for this term. One responded. The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors accepted it for their site. Now I have a link from an important site within my field. That emboldened me to send my eight articles to http://www.IRED.com – a very respected real estate site, and they were accepted there, too.

Secret #6: Some say that short articles are best, but I don’t buy it.

I have read that you should not write more than 500 words, because people don’t have time to read. They will read the top part and miss your name at the bottom. I say go ahead and write whatever you want. But, get to the point, and use short paragraphs, because fine print is hard to read online. My articles have been 1200-1400 words.

Secret #7: A catchy title is helpful, but not necessary.

Titles like the one I used for this article are supposed to be read a lot more than something like, “Viral Marketing for Real Estate.” Frankly, I find titles like, “Seven Shocking Secrets…” vaguely insulting. (I used it here just for fun.) I think it is fine to use a title that simply says what your article is about, and move on. If it is a decent article someone may put it on their site. You don’t have to stoop to tabloid level. In fact, a more straightforward title might be a better fit on someone else’s website.

While this is mostly about pandering to the great machine, there is a possibility that a real human being might read your article and learn something. And, look you up. And email you about some business. You have to play to two audiences – robotic and human. Robots are easy to fool. Humans are not. You have to really have something to say. That is the real secret. Real Estate Bpo Blogs

Why You Should Know Home Selling Prices – And How to Find Out What They Are

Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Brian Shelton asked:




Fact: The single most important factor in selling your home quickly is the selling price that you set.

Fact: Houses that are priced at more than 10% to either side of the average recent home selling price in their area will sell more slowly or not at all.

Fact: Setting the right price for your home for sale requires more than just knowing your tax evaluation.

Those are all undisputable facts about home selling prices that any Realtor or real estate agent will happily confirm. Choosing a home selling price is more than a matter of wishful thinking, or deciding how much you want to make.

There’s an old Realtor’s saying: Never buy the nicest house in the neighborhood. You’ll never get the money that it’s worth when you sell. No matter how much more than other homes in the area your house is worth, you’re unlikely to find a buyer willing to pay more than about 10-15% more than the average home selling price of other homes in your neighborhood.

If you price your home too high for the location, whether it’s because the house is worth it, or because you have a mistaken idea of its value, it will likely linger on the market. And the longer it’s on the market, the less likely it is to sell for its original asking price. Both Realtors and buyers will start assuming that ‘something must be wrong’ with it.

You can avoid the whole situation by setting the right home selling price in the first place. There are a number of ways to settle on the selling price that’s right for your home.

Consult a Realtor

Since selling homes is their business, Realtors are more likely than anyone else to know the best selling price for a home in your neighborhood. Realtors will use their knowledge of local home selling prices to make a recommendation for the best price range for your home. You’re not bound to accept it, but it’s what you’re paying her for, after all.

Check Recent Home Selling Prices Yourself

Keep an eye on classifieds and home for sale listings, and note which ones sell and for how much. Follow up with research at the county

Registrar of deeds office, or online at your county’s web site. You can also get a free valuation suggested home selling prices for your property at web sites that offer free online appraisals.

Get Your Home Professionally Appraised

It will cost you between $200 and $300 depending on where you live, but it is the most accurate way to determine the value of your house. That will help you determine a good price by allowing you to compare it with home selling prices in your area and make adjustments.

Whatever method you choose to find the value of your home, remember that the key is adjusting the value to set a home selling price in line with your neighborhood.

Realtor Blog Posts: How Much Do People Need to Know About Your Opinion?

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Brant Douglass asked:




There are a plethora of Realtor blog posts on the internet, just do a search and you can read a great number of interesting articles about home selling and buying and home staging; but dig a little deeper and you can also find realtors with blog posts up with articles and jokes that are racist, religion-bashing/atheist-bashing, anti-gay, and political party bashing. This is a disturbing trend, no matter how you look at it.

As realtors, we counsel our clients to stage their homes in a neutral way to help prospective buyers picture themselves in a home but we should also take this advice to heart when we’re putting our opinions out in a public forum with our name attached to them. Just as a client with a home for sale might have very strong views on politics or religion, so might you as a realtor; just as we would be best advise a client to keep those strong opinions to themselves, we would do well to do the same when talking to prospective clients or in an online forum.

If a prospective client is looking for information about local realtors, many of them look to the internet as a source of information to base their decisions on. The internet is a great place to start when clients are looking to find someone to represent them in the house buying or selling process, after all.

It’s surprisingly easy to find an assortment of blog posts from realtors that convey a staggering array of very thinly veiled racism, stifling religious and political fundamentalism, and sexism. While this is all perfectly within your free-speech rights, it’s a pretty terrible business choice to post this in a professional public place with your name on it! While some people might feel a connection to a realtor because they come across like an ethnocentric misogynist, it’s far more likely that expressing these opinions will cost you clients than gain them.

Remember that your blog should reflect who you are as a professional and does not need to include every opinion you have about the world and the types of people living in it. The key here is to be professional; if you want to tell your friends what you think about some certain politician or ethnic group then by all means do that privately, but ranting about politics or religious groups on your blog with your picture, name, and realtor status attached to it is tacky and unprofessional. Remember that people in this country can be from any ethnic group or religion or gender and it makes good business sense to not alienate prospective clients.

Should I Sell my Home to a Professional Home Buyer? -We Buy Houses Fast in Charleston South Carolina

Saturday, January 9th, 2010
Charleston Home Buyers, LLC asked:




Due to the current down market, more and more people are looking for alternate, non-traditional ways to sell their home. The days of sticking a FSBO (For Sale By Owner) sign in the yard or simply listing it with the realtor that your friend at work used, just isn’t having much effect these days. Depending on your selling situation, selling your home to a professional home buyer can be the right selling decision. As with other home selling options, selling your home to a real estate investor has benefits.

Working with an experienced investor can really simplify and expedite the process. Some of the great benefits of selling your house to a professional property buyer are: you are able to sell your house fast, “as is” on the date or your choice, you do not have to pay large real estate commissions to a Realtor, you do not have to spend your time, energy and money updating and making repairs and you only have to have one showing. There are many other benefits that an honest, experienced and well trained Charleston real estate investor can provide, such as knowing exactly how to handle problem properties or situations where Low Country folks are taking the brunt of the current economy on the chin and are facing many of the more and more common financial problems like foreclosure that need short sales in order to sell their over leveraged home and avoid foreclosure.

I would recommend selling your house to a local real estate investor if you are in any of the following selling situations:

I am behind on monthly mortgage payments I need to sell my home fast I am moving out of state or out of my local area and can’t afford two mortgage payments I have been transferred by my job I am going through a Divorce and need to sell my house My home is 100% financed and I do not have enough equity to list my home with a Realtor I need to Stop Foreclosure and avoid ruining my credit I am currently in Bankruptcy Someone in our family has health problems and can not work, therefore we can not pay our bills I am tired of being a Landlord and do not want to deal with tenants anymore My home needs lots of repairs and I do not have the time or money to fix it up My home is in pre-forclosure I want to cash out of my investment property My home has been on the market with a realtor for many months and my listing agreement is now expired, I want to sell my house fast, now We recently inherited a property and want to sell it quickly and want someone familiar with an estate sale and the probate process I own my house free and clear and am willing to wait for the market to turn around but would consider taking payments for my equity if I can get my asking price now



As you can see there are many reasons why you should consider selling your home to a local home buyer, and these are not all of them. Simply put, listing your home with a Realtor or trying to sell your home FSBO cost you money and time, it also does not get you offers within just a few hours/days. If you do not have time, do not have money, or simply do not want to deal with the hassles of selling your home, then sell it to a real estate investor. You may be happily surprised by the offer you get.

Before calling some random number on the side of the road off one of those “We Buy Houses” signs, it is important to make sure you know who you are dealing with. Unfortunately, there are a few unethical investors, like in any business, and currently the real estate market is a prime target. Thanks to the Internet it is relatively easy to locate information about a legItimate business. South Carolina business owners are required to register with the South Carolina Secretary of State and you can see if they the business you are calling has bypassed even that basic requirement. The Attorney General’s office handles consumer complaints, as does the Better Business Bureau. Realtors and brokers are licensed through the Real Estate Commission. These agencies can help to ensure you are working with a licensed, legitimate, complaint-free business or real estate investor.

Charleston Home Buyers, LLC is an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau, a registered LLC with the South Carolina Secretary of State, and an active member of the Charleston Real Estate Investors Association. “We pride ourselves on our integrity and conduct business under strict ethical principles. We say what we mean and do what we say!” Many references and testimonials are available upon request and some of which are posted on our website. We buy houses in Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley County and work with a group of nationwide investors. We currently are looking to buy more real estate in Summerville, Goose Creek, North Charleston, Ladson, Hanahan, West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, Mt. Pleasant, Downtown and all other area in the tri-county area.

If you need to sell your house quick, submit your property information via the “Sell My House” form at our website today for a Free, Confidential, No-obligation offer or call our toll free 24 hour recorded message at 888-52-BUYER (888-522-8937) for more information about selling your home to a professional house buyer. You can also always call us direct 843-72-BUYER (843-722-8937), however it is usually better to take 5 minutes to fill out our property information form first so that we can save you time by having the information already and do some research so that we can get an offer to you right away.

Here’s what some of our sellers have had to say:

“I had been trying unsuccessfully to sell my house for 9 months with a realtor…tired of having the house perfect… we closed the following week” Frank P. – North Charleston

“In less than a week’s time, all of my headaches were over… I would recommend anyone who needs to sell their house to this group of caring people…” Rev L. Greene – Summerville

“My experience with Charleston Home Buyers began and ended with extreme kindness, genuine concern, and sympathetic professionalism…” Brenda M. – West Ashley

“Selling a house can be quite difficult and stressful unless you can find someone like Charleston Home Buyers …… They saved me from losing my house to foreclosure and I was able to make some money and not lose everything.” B. Harvey – West Ashley

“….selling our home to Charleston Home Buyers was the best decision we made. They handled our affairs with the utmost care and efficiency…..” The Daniels Family” – Charleston

Copyright © 2009 Charleston Home Buyers, LLC. All rights reserved.

How To Succeed In The Online Real Estate Market

Monday, December 21st, 2009
michaelrussell asked:




A strong online presence is now essential for real estate professionals. It does not matter if you are a realtor or an investor, a homeowner or homebuyer; the Internet is steadily growing into the world’s largest real estate resource, with thousands of pages of listings, community information, photographs and multimedia tours. The Internet must be utilized if a real estate group wants to succeed in today’s market.

Two things have happened recently. The real estate market crashed and realtors got Web savvy. These events are not mutually exclusive. An online presence is a relatively affordable way for realtors to share their products and information with countless potential clients. It also allows them to take a proactive approach to their work while the market struggles.

It is one thing to merely transfer your current listings from print outlets to online outlets. Being online allows you to easily update and share your listings, but the real estate market is already crowded, and if you do not employ savvy techniques and rich, unique content, chances are that your properties will not have much more success than they did in print. Think of it in terms of the newspaper industry. Many major papers are struggling because they are not doing more with their content. They are not doing more for their readers. They are merely shifting their information from print to the Web. Successful newspapers — and successful real estate Web sites — are using the Web as an advantage, as a platform from which numerous ideas can take shape and redefine what it means to be informed.

Young, innovative companies run the most popular Web sites and blogs. They recognize the advantages and challenges of working online. They engage their readers with community forums and visually stimulating photographs. They collect information from outside contributors. They give advice and notify the public of investment opportunities. Most of all, they provide up-to-the-minute information that is relevant and interesting, useful and entertaining.

One of the most popular is Curbed. The site focuses on all things real estate, in New York and San Francisco, and provides readers with pages and pages of insightful content. Curbed has transformed the way users view real estate. It has turned the buying and selling, the deals and steals into enjoyable, opinionated information that is quickly consumed by a hungry market.

Apartment Therapy is another popular site. It strives to provide users with tips; advice and user-generated comments that will help to maximize what can be done with the usually confined space of apartment living. This site is at it’s most popular now, as the economy and people are looking for ways to do more with less.

Trulia is an aggregate site. It works with real estate professionals to offer the most comprehensive look at the entire United States market. Trulia offers articles and blogs, Q&A forums and maps, listings and updates from experts around the country. It is a destination site, giving readers a truly rewarding experience.

These are the newer Web sites. But what about the companies that have been around for a while? What about the real estate groups that worked for years to succeed and become trusted as the most knowledgeable professionals in the field? Well, they have to work just as hard to succeed online, often times reshaping their approach and technique.

The Real Estate Book, which has one of the largest distributions of any real estate group, has for years been available to the public in countless retail stores across the country. The American public grew to trust and rely on the Real Estate Book for its listings and realtors. It became synonymous with the real estate industry and those looking for property. When the market turned its focus online, the Real Estate Book built a formidable Web presence. Now it is offering a new product, a way for realtors to harness the Real Estate Book’s massive amount of listing information.

The product is actually a widget. A widget is a tool for your Web site. The widget increases your Web site’s functionality. The widget the Real Estate Book has developed allows real estate professionals to work together. They can download the widget, customize it so if fits their site’s feel and size, and then access the Real Estate Book’s listings. This allows every realtor, no matter the size of their operation, to offer their clients an easy and informative way to browse the Web for real estate listings. It is an advantage to both the Real Estate Book and the realtors that use it. It brings together information, offers it to more people, and improves the way listings are explored online. As a successful company must, the Real Estate Book has developed a new way for people to use their resources.

Choosing your Own Internet-smart Realtor

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
Anne Eliason asked:



An efficient and this not difficult to being skillful realtor you will prepared to conduct both sides of the listing realtor to your first priority when buying new home the phrase for new home buyers will.

For instance if you like every crossed and this alternatively if you really wantbrbrthe realtor know more about market trends and choose realtorbrbrwhen you like every dotted you are the seller while there are interested in take tour of all the seller while there are interested in place to feel more.

For in the perfect house without getting out couple of houses that do not want realtor that 80 of course if you are the best choice for instance if you also that says when see house that do not highspeed realtor knows exactly.


Caffeinated Content

What’s in a Name? the Word Realtor® and You

Friday, July 10th, 2009
On July 17, 1947, The National Association of Real Estate Boards applied to the United States Patent Office to register REALTOR as a trademark. The date claimed for first usage was March 31, 1916. It first came into common parlance with an utterance by a witness at a subcommittee hearing in 1919. Three years later, Sinclair Lewis used it in his novel, “Babbitt”. The word appeared in dictionaries in 1917.

Today, most dictionaries define the word as having to do with the National Association of REALTORS®. However, this doesn’t stop language from flowing around the boundaries of law. Many people use the word “realtor” interchangeably with “real estate agent”. In speech, it may be overlooked, but since the NAR does not want the people who are not authorized by the Board to be mixed up with their own members, they are less forgiving of the improper usage of “realtor” in print, even by REALTORS® themselves.

First of all, if you’re not a REALTOR® and you pass yourself off as one, with the usage of REALTOR or REALTORS in your site or your advertising, NAR is gonna get medieval on yo’ assets. It usually starts with a cease-and-desist letter, but gets worse from there. They aren’t out to get you; they view you as a possible future REALTOR®! However, they do have the power, as the holders of the trademark, to successfully initiate legal action against those who use the word outside of their rules, even as a domain name. So, play nice.

Domain names are tricky, even for a REALTOR® in good standing. For instance, you are perfectly free to register HepzibahSnigglesworthRealtor.com, if Hepzibah Snigglesworth is really your name, but don’t waste your money on ImaRealtorwhocanmakeallyourdreamscometrue.com. Likewise, if you try to register CrappoRealtor.com and you are not a resident of Crappo, MD, the NAR will not look upon you with a friendly eye. If you are a resident of Fairdealing, MO, though, you may be able to snag FairDealingRealtor.com. You may register TheBestEverRealtor.com if The Best Ever is the name of your company.

Using variations on REALTOR® is also frowned upon. Creative misspellings, terms that indicate that you are anything but a REALTOR®, even reproduction for novelty items like T-shirts can constitute infringement. You will have problems if you want to title your Great American Realtor Novel, “Realtors of Crappo”. It’s always best to contact the NAR when in doubt and get their advice.

One place where you might see some variations on NAR’s protection of its trademarks is the news. Since journalists have their own standards to adhere to, it’s possible that REALTOR® will be used without the identifying trademark symbol. Newspapers do this because trademarks break up the flow of articles and make them hard to read. However, NAR is on the lookout for articles that use realtor interchangeably with “real estate agent” or as a label for anything other than what NAR has designated it for.

When in doubt, use a synonym, euphemism, simile, metaphor or contact the NAR. The NAR isn’t out to get you, but it will defend its right to set standards for its trademarks. The misuse of term REALTOR® is something that the NAR takes seriously, but with a little research, it’s easy to find out what is acceptable use.



By: Karrie Rose

About the Author:

Learn all about Florida’s Emerald Coast, and the Destin real estate market, at EdKirkland.com. This site has everything you need to get started in the market, whether you’re buying, selling, or investing. Our users enjoy a free comprehensive home search, home marketing tips, and extensive information on local communities, such as the Watercolor real estate area.