Unfortunately, the licensing requirements for residential real estate are minimal - just 40 hours of coursework and a licensing exam.

Combine this low bar to entry and a commission-based pay structure and it’s easy to see why the profession can lack widespread respect.

True real estate professionals bring more than just a license. Along with their existing level of education, true expertise is gained through their own initiative and personal pursuit.

Gaining specialized knowledge demands a substantial investments of time, money, and effort. Dedicated pursuit of expertise, combined with practical experience, develops into a unique knowledge set that sets one practitioner apart from another.

The only way to discover whether a practitioner is the right fit for your needs is to get to know them, and their qualifications, through the interview process.

• Be able to create conditions that can lead to competing offers that maximize the end sales price, and ultimately close.

• In possession of the expertise to support sales price using comparable sales that meet professional appraisal standards.

• Have intuition, “street smarts,” and the ability to recognize when things are not right so processes, such as wire transfer, can be stopped immediately.

• Have access the advanced background check tools know how to be an effective first line of defense against fraud and theft.

• Be technically able to utilize the full range of online, AI, and document delivery resources to ensure full exposure, quality copy and image tools, as well as efficient delivery of time sensitive documents.

What Should I Expect From My Professional Advisor?

How Valuable is Experienced Representation?

The potential value of representation depends on whether you are hiring a professional or not. Here are some tips on how to identify a truly qualified expert, and how they can impact your success.

In most professions, formal education, certification and real world experience are essential.

Why wouldn’t you require similar standards when choosing a real estate advisor?

Your professional representative should:

• Be an excellent communicator, relator, relationship builder and a master of inquiry.

• Work well with others, know when to use subtle, ethical leverage and be able to stay in control of his/her emotions when conversations become strained.

• Be knowledgeable, confident, honest, ethical, and have the highest sense of duty toward the accomplishment of your goals.

• Excel at managing complex personalities, including fellow practitioners, service providers and local municipal officials.

As consumers, each of us would be wise to hire our professional advisors for what they know, who they know, how they communicate, and for their experiences of having been there many times before. The quality of the results are almost always dependent upon hiring the right individual.

If you are considering a move here in West Michigan, we would welcome the opportunity to interview to work in your behalf. We have been producing great results for our clients for decades and would love to do the same for you.

Please drop us a note, ask a question, or have us come out and take a look at what you have, even if you’re not sure what want to do. We’re here to be a sounding board and to help you make informed decisions. No matter what you decide, we’ll value the connection and won’t ever bother you in any way.

Let’s start a conversation.

You have our word that we’ll come to it without an agenda and with a genuine desire to help.