How many Real Estate Agents should I work with ? (Atlanta: for sale by owner, real estate market)

[RingALing]

I am a newbie here- I stumbled on this forum & have enjoyed reading a few posts. I hope this is an appropriate question to ask here & if it is not- could someone please direct me to a better source.

I am newly engaged. We both work downtown, but currently each own a house on opposite sides of town (Gwinnett & Douglas counties). Neither house will work for us as a couple- so both need to be sold. Then we need to find a new house together.

Ideally (for commute reasons !) we would love to be inside the perimeter, but we fear budget and a specific house feature requirement may not let that be a reality. (A traditional house w/ 2 car garage does not meet our needs.)

In searching outside the perimeter- we will be looking mainly at Gwinnett or perhaps Walton counties. We are not sure if we will be able to find what we want/ can afford in a resale, or even in a pre-planned "one builder builds it all" subdivision, so we are open to the concept of finding land (I hear near impossible) and a private builder... but I fear the land search may send us way out into the never-ending commute zone.

So- my question is- how many real estate agents do you foresee us dealing with ? How "specialized" are agents are far as sticking to "their" side of town ? Is an agent who is well versed in resale options in a given area, and probably also aware of new construction subdivisions, the same type of agent who can assist in a plain land (and contractor) search ???

We have a tentative gameplan in our minds (don't really want both houses on the market at the same time, at least not initially)... but who can we meet with to help us "strategize" the different aspects of this ? I fear one agent will not be able to help us strongly in all areas. Is it unethical to have one sell the Douglas county house, one help us look in Decatur for resales, one help us sell the Gwinnet house (and also help us look for Gwinnett/ Walton resales), and then who helps us consider the private builder/ land deal option ?? We just want to make the best use of anyone's expertise & time. (I do know you can't have two different agents trying to sell the same house for us at the same- I am not trying to do that).

[Liz in North Augusta]

First, I am not licensed in Georgia but I am a real estate agent. If you came to me and wanted to explore areas outside of my expertise, I would try to refer you to a knowledgeable agent in that area. Most of us in the business understand that we are here to provide a service and that good ethics are essential. When I read posts and occasionally add to them, I do it with good intentions and I hope to be helpful. I also like to learn from people who have questions. If you are shopping for a real estate agent, be honest about it. I shop for good service too. We all do. I wish there was a discussion about all the laws that real estate agents must follow to insure honesty and honorable ethics. I hope that answers some questions. Thanks for listening.

[Cobb]

I would say first of all be honest with them and let your intentions be known. If you are just in the looking stage tell them. If they dont want to take you out fine. Over the 3 years I looked I must have tried a least 5 agents. The last one found me what I wanted and we also became friends. Look,look try,try.

[Miguel]

Hi RingALing,
I'm an agent here in Atlanta. You need to find an agent you both feel comfortable with. I agree they need to let the agent know what stage of the process you are in. With that being said, My opinion is that you find one agent to handle both sales. The reason being is that you will have one point of contact to deal with and he/she will know where both of you stand. to me it is more efficient and less hassle.

[kaday]

Mr. Miguel Realtor,

Can you tell me what the real estate market is like in Atlanta now? Is it a buyers market or are homes selling pretty quickly. We are thinking about East Cobb, Dunwoody or Sandy springs. Thanks!

[bbuch]

It is most definitely a buyers market right now.

[Miguel]

Originally Posted by kaday

Mr. Miguel Realtor,

Can you tell me what the real estate market is like in Atlanta now? Is it a buyers market or are homes selling pretty quickly. We are thinking about East Cobb, Dunwoody or Sandy springs. Thanks!

It is a buyers market right now. Dunwoody and Sandy Springs are very hot right now. Hence the prices for homes in that area. I just recently sold a condo in the perimeter area and was a nice 3/2 condo with a porch for 171K. It really depends on what you are looking for. Although a buyers market, sellers in those areas often as for the higher end price ranges. Know exaclty what you want and how much you are willing to spend. If you have an agent make sure he will negotiate on your behalf.

[kaday]

Thanks. We saw on the internet a house in Dunwoody that we liked but it was about 60k outside of our price range. It is in the 6oo's. It does need some updating and appears to have been on the market for a while. Is it absurd to think we could get it for what we are willing to spend?

[Miguel]

No it's not absurd. Often times homes are listed higher than what they will actually sell for. Think about it like buying a new car. You never pay sticker price. If the house needs some work or has been on the market for some time, then you have a better chance of reducing the sales price. Now obviously you are dealing with home owners that want the most they can get out of their home. It's only natural. When I negotiate for my buyer i let the other agent know exactly why I offer what I am offereing for the house. Is the home for sale by owner (FSBO)? Are you buying it without an agent? The reason i ask is beware about having one agent control both sides of the deal. They can't hold their client's (seller's) best interest at heart as well as yours. Is the work that is needed on the house more cosmetic or are there other visible issues? Moderator cut: Removed I generally get get those messages faster as i am new to this site and not always logged in.

[kaday]

Thanks that's really good to know. If I have any more specific messages I'll send you a PM.