Time is money. That is true for buyers AND sellers. It's also true for real estate agents AND everybody else. Time is the one commodity you can't buy! We trade our time in our jobs for money, but we always have the option how we spend that time. Less time at work means more time with the family or other pursuits. But, you can't buy it back.
For years the promise offered by real estate companies was that there would be economies of scale and convenience for all involved in a real estate transaction if the allied services could just be brought under one roof. There have been mixed results, with mostly larger independent and franchise firms offering at least several services, but the smaller broker never has had the opportunity to offer these kinds of services to their customers very competitively - that is until NOW!
Our affiliation with WPI allows us to offer all of these services: real estate, mortgages, insurance, title services, and home warranties under one roof. We're one of the top growth franchises in the country for a reason. We're flexible. We're fast. We're professional.
Imagine the convenience of being able to buy and sell your home, get your mortgage, insurance and title work all done in the same office. Now imagine the economies of scale that we offer and the savings you can reap from these economies.
Does this mean anything to you? Maybe. The key to having a variety of services for customers and clients is that they have to offer savings in money, time, or hopefully, BOTH. So, it depends on who you go to. Some brokerages offer mortgages as an adjunctive service, and may even have title services or insurance services that they offer. However, unless these firms are large enough to have a dedicated staff for each service entity, it's likely they won't be as competitive as they should be. At Acceptance Group WPI, all of our offerings are really separate entities, and are their own enterprise. The power and numbers of the WPI agent system affords us that opportunity. So, you need to know if the service being offered to you in addition to your real estate services has real value for you. The key question to ask: is it going to save you time and money?
It's like anything else. Part-time effort and "hobby" services are probably not the most exemplary, nor do they usually offer the best value or service.
Something else to keep in mind is that for at least the past 60 years there has been a turf war between real estate brokers and bankers around the country. Banks very much would like to get into the real estate business, and some of the larger brokers would love to get into the banking business - not just mortgages - the whole banking business. So far the government has deemed that as anti-competitive. Imagine being told that the only way you could have a free checking account was to have your mortgage with a particular bank, or list your house with them? You already know what happens when there is less competition. Have you noticed how many "bank fees" you pay after "mergermania?" What do you think would happen if they got to control your house, car, credit cards, checking and savings account?
The same might be said of real estate brokers too if they were allowed to be in the banking business too. Imagine being coerced to have to list with a firm because they had your checking account and savings account, and they were free only as long as you listed your house and bought a house with them. That's not the case with WPI. We actually let our competitors advertise on our FREE e-Classifieds pages. Got your own mortgage lender? Great! Just hire us for the services you need. We'll let them open their own Simplicity account to help track the buying and selling transaction process too. Add to that our obsession to service, and our innovative and creative marketing plans and fee service options, and we believe you will choose us because we offer far more value.
I hope this helps you think through the process of using a One-stop shop for all your real estate transaction needs. Essentially, if convenience is important to you, and you want everyone on the same page at the same time, it just may be for you. If you've developed long term relationships with trusted mortgage lenders, insurance brokers and title attorneys, you may just want to stay where you are. After all, your real estate agent can help with the coordination process - if they know what they're doing. Then again, with 80% of licensees "washing out" of the business before their license renews, make sure they know what they're doing too.
Chris Michaud
Acceptance Group WPI
chris@acceptancegroup.com
1 comment:
Good words.
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