Buyer Dilemma
By Jim Palmer Jr.

Unless you have some experience in the real estate business and can navigate your way through the selling or purchase process by yourself, you will need the professional services of a real estate broker. How do you choose a good broker that you can trust to advise you with the largest sale or purchase you will make in your whole life? Do you pick them because they are a family friend (whether they are experienced or not), or because you’ve heard they are professional and top-of-the-line in terms of expertise, or because you already have a good relationship with them and trust them, or because they have the listing you are interested in?

In the Spokane region there are now approximately 2,400 Realtors® to choose from who are licensed real estate brokers that have subscribed to the National Association of Realtors® and their Code of Ethics. There are also a handful of NON-Realtor® brokers in our region who have no access to MLS listings and no Code of Ethics. There are many very experienced brokers in that whole mix, but approximately 25% of those brokers have less than two years experience in the business.

In your hiring process of that important person, which qualities or attributes should you take into account that will most likely assure a good outcome for your purchase or sale? Their willingness to offer you clarity through the process, their compassion for your circumstances, their character and integrity, their level of competency in the business, their investment of time or commitment to your purpose, their connection or friendship to you, their ability to contribute what it takes for the desired result, or their consistency in performance may all be things you should take into account.

In a recent case, a desperate and homeless buyer became frustrated when their very experienced broker, who they had chosen because of their high level of expertise, was not available after normal business hours or busy with other clients when they suddenly decided to write an offer on a property that had come back on the market. In those moments of time they cared more about the broker’s availability to respond and suddenly, less about their level of expertise. They probably should have opted for a less experienced broker who was willing and able to put everything else on hold to sit by the phone and instantly respond to their fire-drill-like needs.