My Market Update: “I Am So Busy”

I am not going to rehash housing numbers that have been distributed by a variety of sources including the Illinois Association of REALTORS®  and Standard and Poor/Case Shiller. The bottom line there is the number of transactions are up, pricing is where it was at several years ago. It is what it is.

“I Am So Busy“

I have been hearing this more often than in the recent past from more and more REALTORS® including myself. I hear some real estate agents talking out of both sides of their mouths: “I am really busy” and “There is no business”. Yes, is it definitely more challenging  and time consuming to get the deals done so I have to evaluate where my time and my clients time is best sent. Where do I start?

Working with Buyers:

• First and foremost are they in a position to buy?
• What are they qualified to buy?
• Can they afford to buy the home they really want?
• Cultivating leads which can take months and sometimes years.

Sellers:

• Are they in a position to sell?
• Will they sell at a price the market will?
• Is the property worth what the seller owes on it?
• Do they have the equity to close it ? If not, will they do a short sale?
• Market the property to reach the greatest number of potential buyers.

With both buyers and sellers, I always need to look at can I best serve the client’s needs. Should I be referring them out or partnering with another agent.

Even though the number of transactions are up over last year, the number of qualified buyers are way down over previous years. It only pays for me to be busy if I have vetted the above out at the start of the game.

To me busy equals selling. And yes, I am busy!