1. What is a Top Buyer's Agent?  There is definitely a difference between the average agent and an experienced Buyers Agent.  Many agents, in fact, don't work with buyers at all, cringing at the prospect, choosing instead to specialize in listings.  While the motto "You have to list, to last" is common in our industry, when I first heard that twenty years ago I thought, "why would I focus on only one side of the business?"   So while it's certainly common to have success as a listing agent, it's also important to have an agent who has worked steadily with buyers for at least five years, rest assure I've worked with hundreds of both buyers and sellers.  Whether it's working with first time buyers (one of my specialties), new construction, older houses in need of a little work or major fixer uppers, an experienced Agent should know the intricacies of each.  Marin County has a variety of construction methods, from single story homes built on slabs with flat ground and nice yards, to spectacular view homes built on spread footings and pilings on hillsides.  Your Agent should have a first hand knowledge of how these homes are put together, along with lists of qualified Inspectors to take a close look before you buy and affordable workers to help you with any work you need done after the sale.   I have spent 25 years in and around construction in Marin County and am considered a specialist in this area.   

2. Excellent Communication is a Must. Your Agent needs to stay in touch with you and work around your schedule, plain and simple.  A good Agent may communicate with you by phone or email up to three times a day if necessary, be it mornings or evenings, weekdays or weekends.  Whatever it takes, they need to be there for you to get the job done, seven days a week.  If you call their cell or office line, someone needs to answer the phone or call you right back right away if you leave a message. This is exactly why I have a full time licensed Assistant. Many part-time agents "don't work weekends" or somehow try and do this job in conjunction with something else, which I've never understood.  Read some of my testimonials to see how I work, but your Agent should call you as least as much as me, if that's possible.

3. Finding The Right Home. Nothing happens if you can't find the right home that suits you.  Or, you may find the right home, but don't know how much you should offer.  An experienced Buyer's Agent knows all the Marin homes that should be available for you to see.  Maybe there's a home just above your price range, but it's been sitting on the market for a while with no offers.  What should you do?  I wrote an article for the Marin Independent Journal recently that talks about just that, called "Writing All Offers", but my opinion is, it never hurts to make an offer.  All they can do is say "no", or, maybe give you a Counter Offer that is within your reach.  And as you'll read in the article, it's all in the approach your Agent uses. 

4.  Access to All Listings.  In this day and age, it's all about information.  You should have full access to all homes available in Marin County, including those not yet on the market.  Your agent can provide you with a link to their MLS (Multiple Listing Service) account at absolutely no cost to you and with no obligation.  Also, if they're in the Top Producer's Network, they can let you know about homes that are not yet (or will not be) on the market.  There's no reason you can't know about these homes before anyone else.  Real-time information, that's the key.

5.  Knowledge of Marin County.   A good Buyer's Agent has a solid, local knowledge of Marin County, including our award winning schools, neighborhoods, weather, microclimates as well as the intricacies of real estate values and which areas appreciate faster than others. Every local real estate market has its own trends and opportunities, which can vary greatly from one neighborhood to the next and Marin County is no different.  It's a Buyer's Agent's job to help you find good opportunities and to keep you out of traps.  Also, your Agent should not think of trying to help you in any county except ones where he or she has experience.  I grew up in this area and have been a licensed Agent in Marin since 1985 (becoming a broker in 1986), yet I would only feel comfortable representing you in Marin or Sonoma, two counties where I have experience.  Some years back, my sister tried to get me to help her by a home out in Contra Costa county.  I had to tell her that I wouldn't be the best person as I wasn't familiar with that area.  If you have a "friend in the business" or a college buddy who is an Agent from out of the area, they should be honest and tell you the same thing. 

6. What is the Current State of the Market.  Great question and one that needs a localized view.  First, what is the state of the market in the area of the home you are interested in?  Not just the town, but the neighborhood and price range.  This can vary greatly here in Marin, with a $1,000,000 home often right next door to one worth $2,000,000.  Not exactly an appraiser's dream, but certainly the reality.  So I'd take the neighborhood(s) and price range you're in and ask for an analysis from your agent: Is it a buyer's market, seller's market, or one that is neutral, favoring neither side?  Also, read my article "Buyer’s or Seller’s Market? Do the Math".  A good Buyer's Agent helps their clients make informed decisions like this every day in order to get them the best value for their money.  I still see inexperienced or out-of-area agents "help" their clients overpay for a home.  With the technology available today, there's no reason you can't make a good, informed decision based on recent market data.  I will do the research for comparable sales and pull any tax roll data that helps us determine the answer to that important question: How much to offer?  But please know it also comes down to your agent saying, "I know this area and this market well, here's what I suggest...."

7. Excellent Negotiating Skills. Negotiating with sellers can be stressful, but good Agents enjoy it.  I know I do.  It helps me do a better job for you and it honestly makes things more challenging. Nothing makes me happier than to hear a seller say, "I won't sell this house for a penny less than $_ _ _,_ _ _", only to then go to work on them to make sure they sell it for quite a bit less.  As I mentioned above, I know construction and can talk with any seller, Inspector or Contractor about prices and what needs to be done to a home.  This is something I actually enjoy and something you get the benefit of for free.  Your Buyer's Agent should know everything about the property you are buying and so should the seller.  You should review all reports and Inspections together to help you decide what is customarily taken care of by the seller and what you can negotiate on your behalf.  With the right approach, you can achieve wonders in the real estate business.  To see how I do it, read my newspaper article "Land or Lumber, It’s a People Business".
 
8. Expert Contract Knowledge. Since 1985, it seems like our contracts have changed at least once a year.  What used to be accomplished in three or four pages has now evolved into 60 - 70 pages of documents you have to understand and sign.  Real Estate Purchase Agreements alone are 8 pages now and the related documents are full of complicated terms and clauses that can greatly affect your transaction and your future in your new home.  This is where you need the full benefit of all the real estate knowledge and experience in your Buyer's Agent.  I will tell you this, as a company, Frank Howard Allen has ongoing, mandatory contract training for all its agents and I wouldn't have it any other way.  The last thing you want to do is worry about the legalities of the home buying process before, during or after your purchase, which I'll talk about next. 

9.  After the Sale.  It's not just about negotiating the contracts and the best price for you, a lot happens after the sale that a good Buyer's Agent can help with. Namely, to be available to you either day 1 or day 1001 after you move in.  A long time ago, my first boss told me that one of the biggest downfalls Agents have is "losing touch with their clients after the close of escrow".  I heard that and thought, well, then I'll make that one of my strengths.  If your agent doesn't have a reputation for following up or tends to lose track of clients, I'd think twice about using them to represent you.   

10.  Top Agent Network and the Internet.  In today's world where information is everything, make sure your Agent is well-connected with the Marin market and Internet.  With all the real-time data that gets transferred on a daily basis, you can miss out on a new listing or price reduction simply because your Agent doesn't get the information fast enough.  I'm part of the Top Agent Network in Marin, where we often share homes with each other where the seller doesn't want to go on the open market.  It's also a case then, of what your Agent knows and who they know that often leads to you getting the home you want.  I personally am a firm believer in the Internet and am proud to have one of the most visited real estate websites in the country, according to my web managers.  Take a look at my "hit report” and see what the latest results are, but this is after thousands of hours or work by me, my full time assistant and many others.   

11.  Successful in Marin County.  Here's my least favorite part, but the truth is, your Buyer's Agent needs to be successful in Marin.  The reason being, if they're not successful, why is that?   If they're new to the business, you should be careful.  If they haven't sold "that type of home before", be careful.  As of today, our median home price has fallen to around $850,000 and that appears to be going back up, so why would you trust your purchase to anyone except a top Agent?  If you would like to interview me to see if we'd work well together, please know that I am in the top 1% of all Buyer's Agents in Marin and have represented far more buyer's than anyone else in the history of Marin real estate.  Frank Howard Allen is the #1 company in Marin and my office in Central Marin is easily the #1 real estate office in the county. My general suggestion is this, let's just sit down and talk.  If we have a feeling of mutual trust, we can try working together and see how it goes.  If at anytime either of us doesn't like how it's going, we're both free to walk away without obligation or commitment.