Find Good Contractors And Keep Them
Have you ever heard the saying, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’? Well, what you know in real estate sure does help, but who you know makes all the difference. It takes a lot of people to sell a house, and it’s our job as real estate agents to bring it all together.
If you don’t have a list of rock-solid contractors that will answer your call any time during the day or night, you need to try harder. Never underestimate the value of a good relationship with a quality contractor. It can make your life easier and your listings present more favourably.
A huge part of doing business as a real estate agent is having a list of good, reliable contractors to call upon when you inevitably need them. This list should be contractors who are local people with who you have a proper working relationship with. You want the best people in town, and you want them to instantly recognize your number when you call and answer straight away. They need to feel that they’re being looked after by your agency, and in turn, they will look after you. If you make sure you have that very handy list of plumbers, electricians, pest sprayers, bond cleaners, roofers, and handymen (to name a few), your properties will be maintained and ready to make money all year round.
When I was a baby agent, I went to value a property in a lovely part of town. This house had been on the market with a different agent for 6 months with no offers. The owners changed to my agency and I was determined to do what the other agents couldn’t. I was going to make this house sell. The house was in a very desirable area and it presented beautifully from the outside. It was when I walked through the front door that I was smacked in the face with the reason no one had wanted to buy this place. The smell was just not right. The carpet had that weird smell that gets into your nose and turns you off your food. It smelled musty, stale, dusty, and just really gross. I could not ignore this buyer barrier.
I called Carpet Cleaning Services, a family-run, local business. When Joey turned up, I felt like I had been rescued. He walked in and instantly knew how to fix that particular smell. He was friendly, non-judgmental, and enthusiastic about his job. He had expert product and equipment knowledge and returned that afternoon with a product designed for dampness and cat-related smells. It worked. The smell disappeared, the carpets looked brand new, and the house was inundated with great offers after the next open home. Joey agreed to be our carpet cleaner contractor and has appreciated the steady work ever since. It’s a symbiotic arrangement. He gets more work, and we get a reliable local to make our carpets presentable whenever we need. He even recommends the best treatments and chemicals to apply based on the kind of carpet and complexity of the job.
Joey is just one of the brilliant contractors on my list and his contribution to the success of my career has been enormous. You will never regret having a list of great contractors, your vendors, your clients, and your commissions will always be better off for it!