Good ‘Housekeeping’ Makes Good Realtors Smarter Entrepreneurs

As a Realtor with almost two decades’ experience, I’ve mentored Fort Lauderdale real estate agents to help improve their condominium and home sales, marketing and business practices. In today’s market, with 36,000 Realtors clamoring for the same limited supply of listings across Broward and Palm Beach counties, there’s no better time to keep your business acumen at the highest industry standards.

In a recent edition of Tuesdays With Gary, we discussed what I call Realtor “housekeeping” – attention to the details that separate great Realtors from good agents.

As professionals, we’re committed to making a living while making our clients’ home buying and selling process as seamless as it can be. With record low inventories of single family homes, duplexes or condominiums in Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach and Wilton Manors, agents must make sure every T is crossed and I is dotted.

Sometimes, that includes checking other people’s work. If a listing in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) says a property is “under contract,” has the listing agent included whether any contingencies are in place?

If the MLS isn’t clear, I encourage buying agents to call the listing agent to ask. If existing contingencies were removed, the listing then should say the sale is “pending.”

In such a high-traffic, fast-paced and frenetic market, professional behavior can ensure the buying and selling public is represented.

In today’s networked marketplace, the stakes are even higher. Every MLS listing is “syndicated” to such services as Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com. If a property is active but not available, a mistake could hurt buyers and sellers alike.

Mistakes are amplified. Opportunities could be lost. Reputations of offending Realtors could be hurt. Or not, if well-managed.

It’s imperative that you as a Fort Lauderdale real estate agent bring a professional attitude – your “A Game” – to each transaction. All it takes is a commitment of time to boost your reputation.

Gary Lanham is team leader for the Gary Lanham Group at Coldwell Banker Real Estate Fort Lauderdale Beach Office. To learn more, visit instagram.com/garylanhamgroup or call 954-695- 6518.