Some people assume Realtors simply show a few houses and then collect commission checks at closing… easy-peasy. But real estate professionals with “W.I.T.” do a lot of hard work between showings and closings in order to make deals happen successfully for their clients.
What is W.I.T.?
If you wonder what exceptional Realtors do for their clients, I would reply: “W.I.T. Whatever It Takes.”
When Realtors contract with buyers or sellers, they assume a legally mandated “fiduciary duty” to provide the highest standard of care to their clients. All licensed Realtors in New Hampshire provide services including advice, counsel and assistance in negotiations. All agents and brokers owe their clients confidentiality, loyalty, full disclosure (for example of material defects known about a property), lawful obedience, and the promotion of the client’s best interests.
It’s this last part—promotion of the client’s best interests ahead of our own—that distinguishes Realtors with W.I.T. from the rest.
I can’t speak for all of the 900 plus licensed professionals in the Lakes Region Board of Realtors, but I can tell you from experience that I and my esteemed colleagues at Roche Realty Group will do just about whatever it takes legally, morally and ethically to help clients successfully buy and sell homes.
Agents with W.I.T. attitudes:
Go above and beyond to help clients save time money—
For example, when my recent client’s lender required an engineer’s report in order to finance a deal, I called and called and called until I found an engineer who would do the required work immediately, whereas others demanded two or three closing-delaying weeks in order to conduct an inspection. This extra effort on my part saved my client up to $1,300 compared to what other engineers were charging for the same service.
On the seller side, I recently served clients who were motivated to sell their Meredith property and were willing to concede $10,000 for roof updates and willing to pay the $4,500 they had been quoted for mold remediation.
It would have been quicker and easier for me to simply go with the first roofer and mold remediation provider. But I take seriously the promotion of my client’s best interests ahead of my own. With a little extra W.I.T. power I found a roofer who would update the necessary sections for just $4,500, and a mold remediation firm that did the job for just $750. The deal came together and a little extra effort saved my clients $9,250, making the sale a much better deal for them.
Get things “broom clean”— With the possible exception of agreed-upon “chattel” (non-real estate property, like furnishings), homes must be “broom clean” at the time of walk-through, just before closing. This means everything not agreed upon or affixed to the property must be removed. If the property is not broom clean, the contract is breached and the deal can fall through at literally the last moment.
When our clients can’t get a property broom clean themselves (for example, those who live out of state), Realtors with the W.I.T. attitude get it done.
This morning, on behalf of a client who lives in the Midwest, I helped Habitat For Humanity employees load a box truck full of unwanted sofas, beds, desks, end tables and other items that will be sold to help support the nonprofit’s noble vision. This required showing up an hour and a half before they got there and digging out enough ice and snow for Air Force One to make an emergency landing, so that Habitat’s box truck could back up to the Meredith bungalow I’m selling, which lacks a driveway.
In December, on behalf of clients who live in the D.C. area, I had to drag a roll of remnant carpeting big enough to cover the field at Gillette Stadium out of the vacation home they were selling. Then I crammed the carpeting into the back of my Prius, which was something like stuffing a 100 pound marshmallow into a piggy bank.
My goal in being a Realtor is certainly not to get needlessly involved in this type of time consuming manual labor. The point is that exceptional Realtors will do whatever it legally, ethically and morally takes to make deals come together.
In conclusion, while some assume Realtors show a few houses and make easy money, the reality is that a lot of hard work takes place behind the scenes. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell a home, it’s important to choose a Realtor with a Whatever It Takes attitude, one who takes very seriously the duty to promote your best interests.
Brent Metzger is a sale
s associate at Roche Realty Group in Meredith, NH. He can be reached on his cell phone at (603) 229-8322, at the office at (603) 279-7046, or by e-mail: brent@rocherealty.com
Please feel free to visit www.rocherealty.com to learn more about the Lakes Region and its real estate market.
