For years I have wondered why people would go with a real estate professional that may not have the ability to help them to the fullest just because they know them.

Real estate has truly become wide placed with the consumer/client/customer having the ability to shop on a global scale. I see this first hand in the lending world every day and also with the fact that we service national markets. California (San Diego included) being some of the newest markets to come on as of late for the company. The advantage that we hold in ability to service on a national level is the requirement of “Geographical Competence”. This requirement forces the use of market aware, skilled and properly licensed appraisers. This requirement is not always required in the real estate industries a like.

I commend you on your consumer education! Thanks for the post!

Knowing that an area is getting a new school or freeway extension, or that the town assessors haven’t done the proper valuation since 1999 and that by golly $3,000 annual tax will be $7500 any time soon. Unless you’re around you may not know about it, and because it’s common knowledge, even when wunderkind agent from out of town asks about it, the good people at Town Hall might neglect to mention it simply because “everyone knows that”.

I think this is far more an issue on the buyer side of things. On the seller side of things what we do is far more portable. You could probably list a house from anywhere provided you have enough local contacts to go out and shoot photos, slap a yard sign down, organize a lockbox etc.

Besides, with gas $4 a gallon, who can afford to drive anymore anyway. :-/

That being said, the people that hook up with a friend of a friends realtor without checking into them… silly.