Garth Evans

I have been involved in a number of different businesses through high school, during my college time and after graduation. Whether or not it was my own business, I have always been interested in looking at the trends that affect the performance of a company. Obviously there are many factors that a business owner can’t control and either has to adapt or suffer. Over the last five years or so, it has become very apparent to me how quickly the real estate industry changes. I am not talking about the overall economy (although the effects are evident), I am thinking about adjustments in marketing listings and advertising for new business. Years ago, the newspaper and slick magazines at the grocery stores were a big part of marketing. Now, many of these companies have either changed to an online presence, are half the size they used to be or gone completely. Of course, there are many options for advertising but one tool that we are now using is one that I am really excited about.

The National Listings Distribution Program is a new program from Realty World that gives our listings maximum exposure on the internet. Here’s how it works…within 72 hours after we enter the listing in our system, your home is displayed on 34 major national real estate portals, providing instant, maximum exposure and increased search results on the property. Also, we have a partnership with Trulia.com and they promote our listings to an additional 170 partner websites. The facts are that about 80% (I think it may be higher) of buyers are using the internet to search for a home.  Calls from buyers come in everyday saying that they saw my listing on the internet. I can’t even begin to explain how important this is. The truth is, selling your home is a numbers game. The more people that know about it, the more chance we will get people through the door and the more people that come, the better chance we have to sell and sell at a good price. This program works! No other real estate company is providing this type of exposure at this point.

So, you are looking for an agent to help you sell or buy real estate. What should you look for? There are numerous questions you may ask as you try to get a feel for who the agent is you are interviewing. Take a look at my introduction video to get you a better feel for who I am, how I conduct my business and why I should be your next agent. Click on the link below:

Thank you to Jim, Neal and Rebekah for their time!

So I was thinking about this the other day as my stack of short sale files is getting higher and higher (Don’t despair if I am working one for you, I am closing them but they are taking time). A lot of agents are complaining about the banks not working with them, basically making life difficult and sometimes foreclosing in the middle of a deal. I have yet to see that happen on any of my files, but I have learned that representing a seller on a short sale is not for the faint of heart. A short sale definitely isn’t short and is nothing like a sprint.

Last month, I had the chance to run my first marathon. The route was full of elevation changes and at a much higher overall elevation than I am used to running.  Just like in a marathon, there are times in the short sale process when you feel great about the progress then times when you feel like you can’t finish and want to give up. What I have found is that if you can push through those times without too much frustration or longing to quit,  the desired results are generally attained. Let me know if there are any questions regarding the process or different phases and I would be happy to answer based on my experiences over the last couple years.