Sequim real estate agents are wondering what Chuck Marunde is doing to sell so many homes and get so many qualified leads. Neighbors of a home Chuck has listed in Sunland on the golf course are seeing the sign and the activity and wondering who this broker is. They’re used to seeing the familiar franchise signs for sale on homes in Sunland. So who is Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate, LLC, and what’s all the hullabaloo?
“Back in 1995 I realized the Internet was going to be a major player in real estate, and I started a website then, but in the past two years the Internet has become the dominant tool buyers use to find a home,” says Chuck. “So I built the largest Internet brokerage in all of Sequim and Port Angeles, and the results are stunning, but other brokers and many homeowners who are not paying attention to this Internet trend are still in the dark. I don’t advertise in the local newspaper, because that is NOT where buyers from California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and Montana are looking! And it’s not Sequim homeowners who are the buyers. I am reaching out directly to the buyers from out of state. It just makes sense, but many people haven’t thought this through, including local real estate brokers.”
In the biggest real estate recession the country has seen in decades, and the worst real estate market in memory for Sequim and Port Angeles, many real estate agents have left the business, and some have not sold anything in over a year. Many are working other jobs, including washing dishes (literally) just to survive. Not Chuck Marunde.
“I feel very blessed. I sold a home in January, one in March, one in May, and I have two pending transactions in June already, and I’m submitting another offer today or tomorrow. Here’s the amazing thing. I don’t waste my money or my client’s money on things that don’t work, advertising that produces no results. My Internet presence is producing buyers who are delighted to work with a Realtor who gets it. Clients tell me they appreciate the fact that I was a real estate attorney, and tthe articles I post for them at no cost so they can make intelligent choices when they move here. I would just call this basic customer service.”
“I’m so fortunate that the pieces of my chaotic life seem to have come together at this time and place. I spent a lifetime in real estate transactions and law, marketing and sales, and technology. I also love to write, so all of this somehow uniquely fits me, but most importantly it fits clients who are buying and selling.”
Most real state brokerages are operating under a 20 year old business model, but they are being left behind by the Internet. Selling homes in Sequim or Port Angeles is no longer a simple matter of putting it in the MLS, running an ad once every six weeks in the local paper or the home sales magazine. Agents who are sitting at the desk staring at the phone while it does not ring and waiting for buyers to walk into their brick and mortar offices are getting nervous, but more importantly, they are not producing sales for their listing clients and they are not connecting with buyers.
“Don’t be fooled by agents who tell you they have your listing all over the Internet. There is much much more to the story about what works and what doesn’t work. While I prefer not to reveal secrets that have taken me years and a wheel barrel of money to learn, I will share those with my clients.”
Sharp buyers and sellers are not just using the Internet–they are using it intelligently. They know how to filter through the garbage to find a good agent, how to search for property, and they are discerning the difference between agents who are blowing smoke and the agents who have real experience and professional knowledge.
So this real estate blog continues to help buyers and sellers to buy and sell in this market, but this blog also continues to be a source of professional education for real estate agents. Everyone is welcome here.
At least one agent in Sequim and Port Angeles is having fun. Chuck Marunde can be reached at his email, which is chuckmarunde@gmail.com or his direct phone, which is 360-775-5424.
Last Updated on June 20, 2009 by Chuck Marunde
“Sharp buyers and sellers are not just using the Internet–they are using it intelligently.” This is quite true…we are seeing this across all areas of real estate. the amount of information the buyer has these days is enormous!!
I could not agree more. I have been in real estate for over 30 years, full time for 25 years. I love computers and the internet. I have the biggest present in my area now on the internet. I totally committed to it about 18 months ago. A lot of time and a lot of money and I am creating a tremendous presents here in Bergen County New Jersey. I am a Realtor / REMAX owner for 21 years and a Builder Developer, the total package. The internet is pulling all my work together. Years ago it was the paper, the real estate books and signs. Now it is the internet and the signs, of course along with good ability and good products for my clients.
Good luck to you, tenacity is important, hard work is too. I think you have both of these important qualities.