What sets Realtors apart?

[Andrea Snyder]

In your opinion what sets some realtors apart from others? What do you find helpful? What do you find frustrating?

[Alexander Felice]

for most of them - NOT MUCH 

The problem with realtors, as with many brokers these days, is the internet. Brokers were the experts in many areas to bridge the gap between the end buyer, and the field they want to operate in. Whether it be real estate, equity markets, car buying, insurance, and more. The buyer doesn't have the information or even access to information to make a good decision, so they hire a broker to help facilitate their business needs. 

Enter the internet, an abundance of information like the world has never seen. 99% of what a real estate broker provided in the past: access to MLS, understanding of market prices, ability to walk a client through the buying process, are no longer strictly available to realtors. Zillow has leveled the playing field so greatly that for a buyer who isn't brand new, the realtor gets in the way more than they help.

So, for a new buyer who is buying their primary residence a realtor still has some value (access to homes, creates trust in a big purchase decision), but for someone who buys investment homes the only way a realtor can provide value is to help the investor MAKE MONEY.

This is tough though because the barrier to entry for realtors is ZILCH, and most have no clue how to make money in real estate. My realtor sends me great deals and she includes comps, and talks to my property manager and gets rental rates, and she sends me pros and cons lists of these units all at once. My realtor earns her commissions above and beyond, but I've been through a lot of realtors who were just order takers before this one. Most realtors are just order takers, and they only reason they still earn 3% is because the system has not kept up with the changing environment. 

The best realtors have aligned goals, if the realtor is just looking to make an easy commission (which is most), then their value diminishes every day that house buying technology increases. 

sorry for the rant LOL