Professional Credentials

If ever there was a time when experience matters, it is now. The adage “In a calm sea, every man is a pilot” is a great analogy as success during the boom required an agent to fog a mirror. Not so in this market.

The involvement of the Federal government with the real estate business combined with the continued slumping economy has driven many “opportunity agents” out of the business, but more need to go. These were typically part time agents that relied on “friends” for business; clients knew and felt obligated to use them. Never mind the fact that they weren’t full time agents, had minimal experience, minimal production and little “real world” exposure; they were used, as to do otherwise would be….unfriendly.

In this market, issues and challenges are the norm, nothing is easy. Smart clients recognize that and will separate business and friendship. Screening prospective agents is fairly easy, and it should be conducted with a business mentality – in short; “what can you do for me and why should I hire you”? A five minute conversation is ample time with these questions in the mix:

   1. Are you a full time agent?

The correct answer is yes. If they’re not, will they be available when you need them? The idea that some agents return calls after 6 the next day is ludicrous; the responsibility of handling the client’s needs mandates availability.

   2. How long have you been actively selling real estate and for whom?

Anyone with less than 2 full time years should be eliminated, that is just not enough time to fully grasp a market like this. A recognized firm is desired as they will typically have a full complement of resources available.

   3. What are your personal production levels over the last three years?

To be “successful” an agent should have at least $2 million of annual sales volume. That is about 8-10 transactions per year.

   4. Verify the figure you are provided and request a copy of their report.

Many agents will give company stats, not personal stats. This is especially true on listing appointments. Request a copy of their production; it’s available off the MLS in seconds.

   5. Is your managing broker on site at your office and responsible for it?

Many discount firms have “broker pools” – not specific managing brokers that guide agents. Brokers that are responsible for agents and production tend to have more interest in their agent’s success.

   6. Please provide five references over the last year that I can call.

This will verify things with past clients and by keeping the date within a year; it will demonstrate experience in the current market.

   7. Please provide a copy of your resume.

Every agent will claim to be #1 at something, and that’s great; it’s also the reason to zero in only on the agent’s personal production as there’s no debating that. Every agent likely has an alphabet of nonsensical designations; most are obtained by writing a check. Note as well the hype surrounding “green” and “short sale” designations; more meaningless alphabet soup.

These are reasonable, direct questions; others can be added as needed. This type of prescreening should be completed ahead of any listing appointments or before meaningful meetings begin. Obviously there are a plethora of additional, more specific questions depending on the circumstances, but a few minutes spent ahead of time will save time and money down the road.

For a copy of Hank’s recent personal production report CLICK HERE

Hank’s Experience and Credentials:

  • Associate Broker, State of Georgia
  • Certified Appraiser, GA (1994 - previously licensed in NY & NC as well)
  • Senior Residential Appraiser - SRA (Appraisal Institute 1991)
  • Accredited Buyer's Representative - ABR (Real Estate Buyers Agent Council)
  • Member of the National Association of Realtors
  • Member of the Cobb County Association of Realtors
  • Member of the GA Association of Realtors
  • Certified Relocation Coordinator (CRC)
  • Previous NYS home inspector (with appraisal business)
  • US Army Corps of Engineers – Captain

Noteworthy Information:

  • Top 5 producing agent by volume for Cobb Board of Realtors – ‘09 Top 5 producing agent by volume companywide for Prudential GA Realty – ‘09
  • Top 10 producing agent by volume for ReMax Greater Atlanta – ’06-‘08
  • ReMax 100% Club ‘04-‘08
  • Source for several Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Journal Constitution and New York Times real estate related articles as well as various local magazines
  • Internet columnist and recognized blogger
  • Owned/Operated Miller Appraisal Group ’89-’94. Became the largest appraisal firm in the NY Capital Region
  • Owned/Operated Miller Appraisal Group ’94-’00. Employed up to 15 fee appraisers covering all of Metro Atlanta
  • Senior SE Review Appraiser for a major private lender ’99-’05. Focus was high value home field reviews and data analysis
  • Captain, US Army Corps of Engineers ’79-‘89. Active in both combat and construction roles

References, credentials, production records and anything else desired is easily obtained with a phone call or email. Experience matters – verify it.