Know a good agent?

When clients ask us to help them find an agent, we take the task seriously. This is how we do it:

Our networks:

For buyers:

If the buyers are in our area, we can help them get the best place at the best possible price and terms. If they are moving out of our area, we have an extensive network of Exclusive Buyer’s Agents (EBAs), who work in a model like ours. Exclusive Buyer Brokerages never represent sellers; brokerage — that’s the whole company, not just the agent. Companies who also represent sellers and buyers often have stronger allegiances to sellers. Their management is looking for listings and teach their agents that “if you list, you last.”

As founding members of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer’s Agents, we have been meeting with agents who work in the same high-fiduciary model as we use.  If someone is looking for a buyer’s agent, we start with EBAs we have known for years. We like and admire most of them, but not all. We keep in touch with those who have a track record of providing services that are similar to our quality.

For sellers:

If someone is looking to sell, EBAs are great sources for information about which listing agents will take their job seriously. As an EBA, we know which listing agents are more interested in making a deal and getting paid – and not as interested in getting the best results for their client.  We know because we take advantage of their mistakes – to the benefit of our clients — year in and year out.

The good EBAs throughout the country have the same informed opinions about listing agents near them. They can make a quality referral, so you can find a listing agent who is taking care of you and your financial health during your sale. We help make that connection for you.

Referral service that gets it:

KCWhen our networks fail us, we go to the pro. Who’s that? Skyfor in Evergreen Colorado. Kathleen Chiras and her staff have been running a referral service that focuses on using agents who work in models that have consumer focus. She has collected a dense lists of EBAs, single agents, and agents who commit to high integrity practices.

How does she do that? First, she knows a lot of the same agents we know. Second, she makes a lot of phone calls. She has good systems to collect agents and to find them again. And most importantly, she makes follow-up phone calls to the buyers and sellers to weed out the agents who talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. By doing that for twenty years, she has grown her lists to cover large areas of the US and some international locations.

Kathleen does extensive interviewing to find agents in places where she doesn’t already know someone who meets her standards. She told me that I’d be surprised how long it take to find an agent who will promise to show any and all properties for sale (and not just ones listed by their company.) Depending on the location, that basic practice may be hard to find! She does this hunt, and she’s good at it.

KCdeskWhen I was nearby, I visited Skyfor to see where the magic happened. Nice place, that Evergreen, Colorado! Here are some scenes from the office!

KCviewKCstaff

Leave a Reply