Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There have been discussions on this forum about buyer/selling/listing agents, and how important it is to have an agent who is familiar with an area or neighborhood. My question is, how much territory does an agent cover?
If a person is relocating to another part of the country, in my opinion, an RE agent would be invaluable. If a party is interested in homes that are close-in to a city as well as homes that are more suburban-country in feeling (the two areas are maybe 20 miles apart and cross over county lines), isn't that way too much area for one agent to have good working knowledge of?
Don't know if I'm making myself clear, but what is your territory? Do you specialize in specific areas: east side of a city, south side of a city, an entire county, an historical district only, an entire city, ...? Does your territory expand the longer you are in business?
When a person is relocating with questions about multiple locales in a new area, is it possible to work with only one agent and get reliable feedback?
There is probably a wide range of answers to that question, depending on the place you are searching.
Since I am licensed in Hawaii, I "can" work anywhere in this state; however, I live on the east side of the Big Island, so I know my town and the surrounding area better than I know the far west side. I've also done development projects on the Kohala coast, so have a good working knowledge of that part of the island as well....I feel comfortable working with clients in almost all areas of the island, but would probably refer to an agent on West side if my client's search was in an area that is over a 2 hour drive from my home/office. On the other hand, there are agents here who work on this island and on Oahu and know both very well.
In more urban areas, I would expect the answer to be different...If you start a search with an agent with whom you form a good working relationship and eventually find that you need someone who specializes in another area, your first agent will probably be happy to refer you to another well-qualified agent. He/she can be compensated for work done on your behalf through a referral fee from your new agent.
Since you mention different counties, this brings up the issue of knowledge of county codes....make this part of your interview process!
I'm in a large city that is divided by rivers. We pretty much divide ourselves by north, south, east and west. I work the north and part of the east area. We are a large company with several branch offices and in my case, if someone is looking in both the north and south, I can refer him to someone who works the south.
Territories depend on the size of the area, the topography, and ease in getting from one area to the other.
Good question! I serve portions of two counties. Primarily due to distance and familiarity. I tend to stick with the towns I know. I work with many long-distance Buyers who are not familiar with my area and there are times when they may be interested in a property in a town unfamiliar to me. For that reason I have developed relationships with a few trusted Agents who know those area better than I. We work out a referral and keep each other up-to-date on that Client. Despite what much of the public thinks, we Agents cooperate quite often with each other, even across state lines. I have a network of Agents in my state and all over the country with whom I communicate daily, weekly, etc. Most of us tend to have very cooperative relationships that have been established to benefit our Clients. And us, too, quite frankly, both professionally and personally.
I think a lot would depend on the size (population) of the area you're looking in. In a more rural area, the agents will probably be familiar with most of the area. In a city, though, you'll probably find that most agents concentrate on a fairly small geographical area. Then, too, an agent's own background makes a difference. Maybe they have friends and family living in an area that's outside the typical radius for most agents, yet that agent would probably know that market, too.
The other thing that sometimes helps is an agent who has a network of agents in various areas that they can contact about specifics. I work a "tri-city" area, and I'm a little less familiar with one of the towns versus the other two. However, I've got a friend who's an agent in the one town, and he's very helpful if I have specific questions about the wells in that area or anything specific to that area. He helps me out, and I help him out when he's got questions about the towns I'm more familiar with. Works well, and we can really represent our clients' interests this way.
A warning, though, some agents try to "wing it" and show property outside their typical geographical area. That really does a disservice to their client, because sometimes there are very specific things that are important (new highway coming through, water problems, etc) that they may be unaware of. So, try to ask some indepth questions when you're out looking at property to be sure your agent is up on issues in outlying areas.
Location: Danbury CT covering all of Fairfield County
2,637 posts, read 7,427,871 times
Reputation: 1378
I am in a suburban area outside of NYC along along a highway. I service the area from when the highway enters in CT about 15 miles running east to west pararell to the highway until it crossses a river. I cover from about the center of the highway south about 8 miles and north about 12 miles. Anything outside of the area I just refer out to friends in my company and wait for my referral checks to come in
I work in a city/county of about 120,000. There really are only 2 towns in the county--the rest is outside of city limits. I do cover the entire area as well as parts of neighboring counties. Since I work in a large office (for this area) I know if I have a question regarding a specific issue in one of the neighboring counties I'm less familiar with, there is always someone to ask. This is really the major hub of the area though and small enough that I'm usually aware of issues affecting nearby areas.
It sounds like you're talking about a larger city though.
More of a problem in my area is when appraisers come in from outside the area. They don't really understand how location effects value in this area.
My MLS serves 7 cities, in a large area. I do not "cross the river" although my company has an office over there. I don't feel comfortable handling properties over there, so I will refer to another agent over there. I am comfortable in my chosen area of Va. Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Norfolk. Some areas I know better than others, but I grew up here so I am pretty comfortable.
The best agent I ever worked with knew every street in 3 counties. He did not grow up anywhere near the area, but he knew it like the back of his hand. He was VERY in touch with what both buyers and sellers wanted. I used him to both buy and sell. Too bad there are not more like him.......
A big fat thanks to all the angels who answered!!! Of course, I performed my usual snip, snip, paste, paste of info into my relocation files. Your willingness to share your knowledge is most appreciated!
City-Data calls them "rep points." To me, they are thank you points. When allowed (you know you get blocked every so often), I will sprinkle some thank you points around.
Again, a big fat thanks!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
