Whiteboard Topics: 6 Reasons Real Estate Agents Choose Lake Homes Realty

It’s no secret that we’re the nation’s largest lake-focused real estate brokerage. Lake Homes Realty’s CEO, Glenn Phillips, explains why real estate agents choose Lake Homes Realty.
 

Specialization: With a market full of agents, specializing is important to stand out from competitors. The lake homes market is extremely popular, and a great one to specialize in.
Market Reach: LakeHomes.com is shown to millions of potential clients a year. Our website will allow you to expand your clientele by reaching consumers all across the nation.
Technology: Our in-house technology allows you to effectively manage and personalize your interactions with buyers/sellers.
High-Quality Clients: Because LakeHomes.com targets consumers specifically interested in buying/selling a lake home, the leads generated are of exceptional quality.
Support: Agent support is a top priority, even though we are highly virtual. There will always be a person on the other end of the line when you need assistance.
Alignment: We connect buyers and sellers to agents that will best fit their lake buying needs. This alignment will inevitably be beneficial to all three parties, as everyone’s needs will be met.
 

From quality lead generation to specialized tools to aid in client management, joining Lake Homes Realty just makes sense. Join us and propel your real estate career to heights once unimaginable!

Whiteboard Topics: 5 Questions To Ask Yourself When Hiring A Lake Real Estate Agent

Choosing a real estate agent without properly vetting them will be your demise when buying or selling a lake home. Lake Homes Realty’s CEO, Glenn Phillips, shares five questions you need to ask when searching for an agent.
  1. Are All Agents the Same? Of course not. The first step is to exclude the ones you don’t want so that you can choose from the ones you do.
  2. What is MY Goal? When considering your goals, decide what’s most important to you. Is it maximum profit? Do you want to stay in your home for as long as possible before you sell? Answering these questions will help you develop a game plan.
  3. Which Agent is Most Capable of Helping Me Achieve My Goal? Find an agent who is particularly skilled in your goal criteria. One may excel at listing your property, but another may be more skilled in buyer relationships.
  4. Which Agents are Focused on LAKE Real Estate? The difference between selling on the lake versus a primary residence is considerable. Find an agent that understands the nuances of lake real estate.
  5. Which Agents can Provide a Pipeline of Out-of-Town Buyers? Most of your potential buyers’ pool will come from out-of-town residents. You need an agent who can prove they have connections to buyers across the nation.
You need a skilled lake real estate agent on your side when buying/selling your lake home. Before you begin your search, be sure to have your specific goals in mind to ensure you are matched with the right one.

Whiteboard Topics: 4 Reasons Your Agent Should Not Have A Local Office

Having a home office isn’t as big of an advantage for real estate agents as it once was. Lake Homes Realty’s CEO, Glenn Phillip, explains why your potential agent should not have an office.
  1. Office Cost vs. Service Capabilities: Money is being invested in an office space, and not reinvested in efforts to help agents buy/sell a home.
  2. Reasons Change: Before the digital age, offices were necessary for running the business. Now, all important documents/information can be stored on computers, phones, etc.
  3. Lake Home Buyers are Rarely Local: Potential buyers are not limited to the local community. Most of the time they will come from all across the nation.
  4. Value of Time: Stopping by the office before touring homes can feel like an unnecessary detour, especially for out-of-town buyers.
Having an office is outdated for a real estate agent. Having one takes investment efforts away from buying/ selling homes and can become a waste of time!

Whiteboard Topics: 4 Killer Fails in Hiring a Lake Real Estate Agent

Hiring a real estate agent can be tricky when you don’t know what to look out for. Lake Homes Realty’s CEO, Glenn Phillips, gives four mistakes to look out for when hiring an agent!
  1. Generalist: It’s imperative to look for a specialist when hiring a real estate agent because a generalist may or may not understand the nuances of buying/selling lake homes.
  2. Friendship First: Friendships are important but you must remember that when purchasing a lake home, it’s about business. Again, a specialist would be more beneficial to you.
  3. Family First: We always want to help our family when we can but if they are not experienced enough in lake real estate, it can hurt you in the long run.
  4. Only Thinking Local: There are potential buyers across the nation, not just in local areas. An agent who only focuses on the surrounding area will hinder your opportunities.
Choosing the right real estate agent should be one of the first things on your list when buying or selling your lake home. Remember, this is a business and making the best decision for you, despite the circumstances, is the most important thing!

Whiteboard Topics: 3 Easy Ways to Fail at Selling Your Lake Home

It can be frustrating when your lake home sits on the market for too long. Lake Homes Realty’s CEO, Glenn Phillips, gives 3 reasons your home may not be getting any interested buyers!
  1. Inferior Photos: Unflattering, unrealistic, and a lack of photos of your lake home can turn buyers away from the property.
  2. Unresponsive Listing Agent: An agent that isn’t reliable or responsive to interested buyers will cause you to lose out on potential deals.
  3. Aspirational Price: Although this is a hot real estate market, it’s important to list your hope at a reasonable price. Most buyers won’t show interest in a home that’s grossly overpriced.
There are several reasons your lake home listing has been on the market for so long, but these are issues you can nip in the bud early on!

Whiteboard Topics: 3 Advantages Sellers Get From Hiring a Lake Homes Real Estate Agent

Lake Homes Realty’s CEO, Glenn Phillips, gives 3 of the advantages of hiring one of our Lake Homes Realty agents to sell your lake home!

1. National Market Reach: The Lake Homes website is visited by millions of people nationally, which increases your potential buyer pool.

2. Featured on LakeHomes.com: When listed by one of our sellers, your lake home will be one of the first options shown to our site visitors who are interested in your lake.

3. Full Pipeline of Buyers: Buyers tend to take up to two years before purchasing a lake home. With our buyer management technology, our agents are able to stay in touch with all of them.

When selling your lake home, you want to ensure your property will sell in this hot real estate market. The best way to do that is hiring a Lake Homes Realty agent, because of their skill and access to our resources!

Whiteboard Topics: 4 Reasons Some Real Estate Agents Want to Sell Your Home in 1 Day

It might sound good to have your lake home sold in one day but it might not be in the best interest of you, the home seller. In this video, Lake Homes Realty’s CEO, Glenn S. Phillips provides four REAL reasons why real estate agents want to sell your home in one day.

  1. Less work. If an agent is able to get your home sold in a very short period of time (which is very likely in a hot market), it’ll mean less work for them. Because of this, you may or may not get the optimal price for your home. 
  2. Commission is similar. Since how much an agent gets paid doesn’t differ much between a good sale price and a great one, there isn’t much incentive for them to go the extra mile to get the best return on investment for your lake property.
  3. Self-promotion. Being able to move a property off the market in record time comes with its own “bragging rights.” But in some cases, it’s the hot market or high demand that is the leading factor behind quick sale transactions and not necessarily the effort that the agent is putting in.
  4. Limit competition. In this current real estate market where the demand is high, agents oftentimes have buyers on hand that are ready to buy (sometimes within the hour!). If a quick sale is something you’re interested in, that’s great! But if you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, you might want to consider having other buyers join in. More competition will benefit you as a home seller since you’ll likely have more offers driving up your home selling price.

If you’re interested in selling your lake home or property and need a lake expert who understands lake property and will help you get the most return on your investment, we’re here to help.

Whiteboard Topics: How to Decide Whether a Family or Friend Should Be Your Real Estate Agent

Have you ever encountered that awkward moment when a friend or family member thinks they should be your real estate agent, but they might not be the right fit? Real estate is probably one of the biggest investments you’ll make, so it’s important to choose the right agent for the job. Here are some tips for navigating that dilemma without wanting to disappoint or displease family and friends.

1. It’s a business decision. This is not necessarily a personal decision. There’s a lot at stake when choosing the right real estate. The right professional for the job will value that importance.

2. Interview for best choice. It’s not about you who like most, it’s about who can help you achieve your goals in the time frame you want. Interviewing for best choice will allow you to be confident in the plans and tools that the right real estate agent can offer.

3. Generalist vs. specialist. If you’re buying or selling a specialty property, like a lake home, a general real estate agent isn’t going to know all the nuances about that market. Someone who knows your market is going to likely be more effective than someone who doesn’t.

4. Look for unique offerings. Does the real estate agent have a unique skill or quality that no one else has? Compare the agents that can help you locate the property you want faster or maximize the number of buyers for the property you’re selling. Whether you’re buying or selling your lake home or property, our agents at Lake Homes Realty can help provide insight in today’s lake real estate market and guide you in your home journey.

Whether you’re buying or selling your lake home or property, our agents at Lake Homes Realty can help provide insight in today’s lake real estate market and guide you in your home journey.

Whiteboard Topics: 5 Things to Know About Your Highest & Best Offers

In real estate, especially in competitive markets, agents typically ask for the “highest and best offers.” It’s important to understand what this means, and whether you’re buying or selling your lake home, here are five things you will need to know about “Highest and Best” offers.

  1. This is not an auction. The biggest number doesn’t always win the deal. Ultimately, the sellers decide on what is best for them.
  2. Mortgage vs. cash. Cash transactions typically don’t go through an appraisal process (there are exceptions). There’s usually a pre-approval process with transactions involving mortgages, which could lead to an inconvenient holding pattern, thus making it a riskier transaction than cash.
  3. Timeframe matters. You can de-risk the deal to a seller if there is a shorter timeframe from contract to close.
  4. Earnest money. A large amount of earnest money offered ensures the buyer’s level of commitment, which further de-risks the deal.
  5. Connection. An emotional connection can help make an offer highest and best.

Whether you’re buying or selling your lake home or property, our agents at Lake Homes Realty can help provide insight in today’s lake real estate market and guide you in your home journey.