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Homes and Land in Sunny Sequim, Washington

Homes and Land in Sunny Sequim, Washington

Sequim's No.1 Buyer's Agent Where Knowledge & Experience Count.

(360) 775-5424
Email: ChuckMarunde@gmail.com

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125 Olympic Ranch Ln, Sequim, WA 98382

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What Defines a Good Real Estate Agent and How to Compare Agents

by Chuck Marunde / Monday, 03 September 2012 / Published in Real Estate Agents

What defines a good real estate agent?  Have you ever made a list of the qualifications of a good real estate agent?  If you could choose between two agents, one with an education and experience that would be ideal, what would that background look like?  Many buyers and sellers have not really thought this through, and many simply call off a sign and hire the first real estate agent who answers the phone, no questions asked.  Since this is your money, and a lot of it, and since there are serious legal and financial implications, finding a good real estate agent is no small matter.

A Good Real Estate Agent and Your Money

Consider this.  You spend $300 at a doctor’s office, and you expect that doctor to have University degrees and advanced medical degrees and a long internship, plus you also want a senior doctor with many years of experience.  When you see a dentist, you also expect him to have 18+ years of education and a lot of experience, and you expect all that even if you are only spending a couple of hundred dollars.  We expect and demand that our kindergarten teachers have four year degrees and state certification before we even let our children into that classroom.  So when you invest your life savings or several hundred thousand dollars in your retirement home, shouldn’t you demand that your real estate agent have a relevant education and the experience that will protect you and help you meet your goals?  Finding and hiring a good real estate agent ought to be high on your due diligence checklist.  There’ s a lot at stake and you are the one who stands to lose if anything goes wrong.

What Defines a Good Real Estate Agent?

I’ve compiled a list of skills a good real estate agent would have on one side and compared that to many of the real estate agents that I have known in 37 years in the business.  Which Realtor would you choose?  Would you choose the agent with all of these marked “yes” or the agent with only some of these qualifications?  Of course, a good real estate agent doesn’t necessarily have to have all of these qualifications, but the more the better.

Good Real Estate Agent

Just Pick a Good Real Estate Agent

I compiled this list of what defines a good real estate agent because I hope to get consumers thinking about what they want and require in a real estate agent.  Just picking up the phone and hiring anyone with a license is not in your best interests.  Just hiring an agent because he or she is the spouse of a friend or has been referred by someone says absolutely nothing about their qualifications.  Just because he or she is in your club or church also may be nice, but says absolutely nothing about qualifications.  I have been involved in many transactions over the years, and a number of transactions were killed by an inexperienced agent on the other end of the transaction.  Remember, even honesty does not make up for a lack of qualifications.  So this is no small matter.  Whoever you hire, be sure they are truly a good real estate agent.

You may not compile the same list I did for what defines a good real estate agent, but it may surprise you how important every single item is on this list.  I could talk about each item for a long time and its importance, but at a minimum wouldn’t you want your real estate agent to be very good at a few fundamental skills?  For example, being able to negotiate like an expert with your money?  Isn’t that critical?  Or how about being able to draft contracts for you with unambiguous language?  Wouldn’t you insist that your agent know all the vitally important due diligence issues that come up in the Sequim and Port Angeles areas?  Shouldn’t he/she be mature in business and well organized?  This isn’t a garage sale, it’s your home, and it’s several hundred thousand dollars of your money.  If you’re a seller, why wouldn’t you insist that your listing agent be extremely knowledgeable and experienced in sales and marketing, especially on the Internet today?  Whatever list you compile, I strongly urge you to do your due diligence to find and hire a good real estate agent.

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About Chuck Marunde

After practicing real estate law for 20 years in Washington, Chuck opened iRealty Virtual Brokers covering the Sequim and the beautiful Olympic Peninsula. Chuck is the author of numerous magazine and Internet articles with a primary focus on real estate. He is also the author of over a dozen books, mostly about Sequim real estate. Chuck is a photographer, videographer, and Registered FAA Drone Pilot. Chuck has combined his love for real estate and technology to create a growing Internet presence in his market, and enjoys building his websites and blogs, including SequimBlog.com and Sequim4Sale.com and LuxuryWaterViewHomes.com. Chuck has degrees in Economics, Law, and Education.

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Chuck E. Marunde, J.D.

Sequim Buyer's Agent
(Atty Ret.)
Founder and Broker of
Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate dba iRealty Virtual Brokers
125 Olympic Ranch Ln,
Sequim, WA 98382
(360) 775-5424
ChuckMarunde@gmail.com

Blog Articles by Date

From Los Angeles

It's rare, but once in awhile life provides the perfect collaborator for an important endeavor such as buying your new home. For me that person was Chuck Marunde. His two decade background as a Real Estate Attorney, his prolific career as an author of articles and books on Real Estate and his forthright and moral character made choosing Chuck a no-brainer. Chuck is dedicated, thorough, incredible at the negotiating table, knowledgeable about all local laws & regs but, most importantly, Chuck loves what he does. And what he does is find his client the perfect property. Chuck isn't about making the sale, he's about making the sale that is OPTIMUM for his CLIENT and this makes Chuck a rare bird indeed. I love my new home in Sequim and I am indebted to Chuck for making it happen. Kevin E.

From Seattle

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Chuck over the past three years in selling my parent's estate. It was a tough time to sell during the housing recession, but Chuck always kept things on the positive side. With his real estate law background, he offers sound, practical advice. He helps you along with the process using discussions and reason, rather than opinions and speculations. If Chuck doesn’t know the answers, he will get them for you. In several instances, Chuck took the initiative to meet with county officials to get up-to-date facts about zoning and regulations. I was always impressed with his company’s tech savvy communi-cations and internet presence: weekly email updates, blogs, videos, links, Linked-in networking, etc. He is truly pioneering the future of buying & selling real estate. Brian M.

From California

"Andy Romano is a successful motion picture character actor with over 40 years in 'the Biz.' Mr. Romano has a home in beautiful Santa Barbara, California, but he chooses to live most of the time in Sequim, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula in the great Pacific Northwest. Why? In his own words, 'Because it's even more beautiful and surrounded by more beauty in this incredibly peaceful and quiet place. With respect to real estate agents or brokers, well my friend Chuck Marunde, owner of Sequim and Port Angeles Real Estate, is hands down the best there" Andy R.

Intro by Chuck Marunde

From Florida

We do our homework for the task at hand and we look for and expect to enlist partners that do the same. It was our good fortune to select Chuck Marunde of Sequim and Port Angeles Real Estate to represent us as a buyer's broker in our search for a home in the Sequim/Port Angeles area. Chuck's site is all encompassing and super fast compared to many others, he knows the market at every conceivable level and his guidance through the process of selecting and purchasing a home is priceless - above and beyond that of anyone with whom we have ever worked. Add to all this his 20 year background in real estate law and you have discovered a superb asset in the adventure of purchasing a home. Greg and Marilyn

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