Bold headline, I know. But I will provide facts to support my statement.
The New York and New Jersey real estate market, based on my experience as a buyer and a seller of real estate, is filled with mediocre agents and brokers. That is an absolute fact! I completely understand that the barrier to entry is very very low so mediocrity is to be expected. But when you have a fiduciary duty to clients and you’re blatantly incompetent, lazy, and a poor communicator (slow to no responses, dodging messages and phone calls, etc.) then I see that as a very big problem that should be addressed. And that is when I decided to get my New Jersey real estate license. I had already gotten my New York real estate license years ago.
When my wife and I were buying our first home in New Jersey we tried working with five (5) to seven (7) different agents. Spoiler alert; the agent we closed the deal with was also bad but at that point, we just pushed through. The agent was so bad that she had no idea how many bedrooms were in the home while she was holding the listing sheet. She didn’t (and two years later still doesn’t) even know if there is an attic in the home which is now a running joke between me and my wife. Will she find the attic one of these days? I highly doubt it!
Fast forward to buying our second home. We tried working with almost ten (10) different agents before just closing the deal with the same mediocre agent from the first home. Why? We felt like we at least know what to expect from this one…which is nothing at all. There were easements on the property that she had no idea about. The property has a septic system which she had no idea about. And the usual; she had no idea how many bedrooms and bathrooms were at the home. So basic listing information was still a major issue for her. Truthfully, at this point, we just needed the agent to “prepare” the standard real estate document and have both parties sign it. And out of that abundance of mediocrity, we had some agents who just wanted us to submit a bid, on ANY property, as quickly as possible so they can collect their commission. We had some disappear and reappear. We had some who felt like we should sit around and wait until they had the time to show us properties. Some gave very bad advice! And the ridiculous list goes on.
In both of these transactions, my wife and I were the ones searching the neighborhoods, checking the school districts, checking the property taxes at the townships, filing OPRA requests to get information on things like potential easements…and then just presenting the home to the agent as the one we want to buy. What a job to have! To just be handed a home, you put in the bid for the buyer and collect a commission. That must be nice! We’ve never ever had an agent surprise us and show us a property we didn’t already find on our own or provide us with any expertise or caught an issue we didn’t already see and fixed. We researched inspectors (over twenty (20) for the second home we bought), checked flood reports, neighborhood safety, distance to shopping areas, distance to the nearest hospital, potential power outages, various internet providers available to the area, utility companies that service the area, and more. Be completely honest with yourself! How many agents you’ve worked with that put in that level of effort?
I’m not only a real estate agent; I’m also a real estate investor and a serial entrepreneur that has created over eight (8) companies. My ever-expanding skillset from creating multiple companies has allowed me to wear many hats to the advantage of my clients. Attention to detail, marketing, in-depth research, connections, capital allocation, investments, communication, management, branding, software and data engineering, and the list goes on.
In conclusion; whether you are looking for your starter home, your dream home, or your next investment property, YOU need an agent that is truly working for YOU and not just for a commission. Absolutely NO excuses!
I’m available 24/7, 365. Call, text, email. I look forward to working with you if our interests align. I am making the conscious decision to keep a very limited clientele because I want to focus more on my clients’ needs.
Website: Rorobb.com Office (call/text): 315.277.3691 Email: mail@romanerobb.com