Creative marketing and negotiating key to real estate deals

Of all the skills that a real estate agent or broker needs to have, two of the most important ones are marketing and negotiating. You can be a brilliant analyst dissecting the statistics for every sector of the market and a wonderful person that everybody likes to share a cocktail with, but it takes creative marketing talents and solid negotiating skills to help your clients achieve the best results possible.

As computers and the Internet have become integrated into everyday life, agents and brokers have needed to adapt to the new realities of the marketplace. The MLS books of the 20th century have long since been replaced with a plethora of real estate portals along with countless websites providing voluminous amounts of data and information (not all of it accurate).

Buyers routinely use their cell phones, tablets and laptop computers while out and about to search for properties. Having a website that automatically reconfigures pages to whatever device the user is searching on has become critical to marketing listings.

The evolution of high-speed connections to an almost universal level means that pictures and videos render quickly and take on a heightened importance when marketing a property.

Properties listed for sale need to be syndicated to a large number of websites since it is impossible to predict exactly where any particular buyer will be searching.

While this may seem like a daunting task, syndication has been made relatively easy as a result of cross marketing agreements between MLS organizations, virtual tour providers and other services. Internet-based marketing is complemented by print advertising, direct mail, open houses, e-mail blitzes, networking with other agents and other tactics that will get exposure and attract a qualified buyer.

Once an offer is received, the negotiating skills of agents and brokers move to the forefront. Never underestimate the value of having a local agent who is not only a good negotiator but who also has excellent relationships with the other real estate agents and brokers in the community. When things become sticky, very often agents who have a good relationship can work things out and a deal can be consummated instead of falling to pieces.

While solid marketing skills will attract buyers to a property, it is the negotiating skills that will ultimately determine the price and terms and lead to an acceptable purchase agreement.

Copy submitted by Don Kanare and Sabrina Belleci, owners of RE/MAX North Lake. Read their blog and find weekly stats on their website at www.InsideIncline.com.