My New Blog

Last week I completed a course called the e-PRO Technology Certification Program, and was certified as an e-PRO Internet Professional. Are you impressed? Those are a lot of big words to say that I'm now better able to serve my clients and customers through use of the Internet.

The e-PRO course is sponsored by the National Association of REALTORS, and only 1 percent of NAR members have e-PRO certification. That percentage will grow as more REALTORS learn about e-PRO and how it helps them and their customers.

A break here to offer you a bit of real estate knowledge. 

First, the word REALTOR® is a registered trademark of the NAR, and is always supposed to be capitalized.

Second, do you know the difference between a client and a customer as they relate to a REALTOR? Simply put, a client is a customer who is being represented by the REALTOR in a contractual way; that is, they have a written agreement for representation by the REALTOR. A customer, on the other hand, is not being represented by a REALTOR, but is being assisted without incurring an obligation; that is, the REALTOR can show a buyer houses and handle the paper work if the buyer makes an offer, but there's no legal representation or obligation other than the obligation to act in an ethical manner.

Now are you impressed?

This website you're looking at is one of four that I maintain on a daily basis. All of them have some basic similarities, but each is distinct in certain ways. Having multiple websites increases the chances that a property listed with me will be seen by people searching for real estate online. Today an estimated 75 percent of people who look for real estate to buy begin their search on the Internet. The trend is toward doing your basic looking online, and then choosing a few properties to physically visit. It's a great time saver and energy saver. For many people, it's no longer practical to drive around looking for For Sale signs, and you don't learn much from newspaper ads.

I have tried to distinguish my business from the competition by offering beneifits they don't (yet) offer. Some examples:

I routinely offer to work for sellers for a 4 percent commission IF I sell their property myself and don't have to split the commission with another company. They still get full service, or, if they only want limited service we work out an appropriate rate. After all, they're the client; they should be able to have some say in the brokerage fee.

I give the buyer of a house a one-year home warranty that covers the major systems in the house against breakdown during the first year of ownership. This is an incentive to the buyer, and it provides some peace of mind. It's my way of thanking the seller for listing the house with me, and the buyer for buying it.    

Each of my listings gets its own individual, unique website that is very attractive, and sets it apart from every other house being advertised. You can see a sample of  listed property in Ellaville at http://www.343westwooddrive.com.     

Every listed property gets advertised in a very nice real estate magazine called Premier Monthly. It is distributed at over 400 points in eight southeastern states where it can be picked up by people looking for real estate to buy. The ads are repeated monthly, and people can keep the magazines for future reference.

These benefits are in addition to the usual listing of properties in the Americus Multiple Listing Service. From there they are picked up by REALTOR.com, Trulia and other major real estate search sites on the Internet. Remember, that's where most people are looking for property to buy.

So ... if you are thinking about buying or selling a home or land, give me a call at 229-924-3089 or email me at info@michaeldixonrealty.com.