Realtor®... a person who works in the real estate business and is a member of the National Association of Realtors or one of its constituent boards and abides by its Code of Ethics. from Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary, 2001

All real estate licensees are not the same. Only real estate licensees who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR "®" logo on the business card or other marketing and sales literature. REALTORS® are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate. An independent survey reports that 84% of home buyers would use the same REALTOR® again.

Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime. Transactions today usually exceed $100,000. If you had a $100,000 income tax problem, would you attempt to deal with it without the help of a CPA? If you had a $100,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney? It would be the same to consider a deal in real estate without the professional assistance of a REALTOR®.

But if you're still not convinced of the value of a REALTOR®, here are lots more reasons to use one... not just a real estate agent, but YOUR REALTOR®:

SELLERS

1. In this part of West Virginia, onlyyour REALTOR®  has access to the incredible MRIS Multiple Listing System, which places your home in front of over 40,000 other Realtors plus the buying public every hour of every day.
Over 40,000 licensed agents, brokers and appraisers subscribe to MRIS.
Your listing and all it's photos and data are available to all 40,000 REALTORS® and their buyers.
MRIS REALTORS® have access to more than 34,000 active listings at any time 24/7.
MRIS REALTORS® can browse an archive of over 900,000 comparable and sold properties.
MRIS REALTORS® have access to over 4,000,000 public records containing tax information about properties in our area.

2. When selling your home, your REALTOR® can give you up-to-date information on what is happening in the marketplace and the price, financing, terms and condition of competing properties. These are key factors in getting your property sold at the best price, quickly and with minimum hassle.

3. Your REALTOR® markets your property to other REALTORS®, real estate agents and the public. Your REALTOR® will recommend repairs or cosmetic work that will significantly enhance the salability of your property. Your REALTOR® markets your property to other real estate agents and the public. In many markets across the country, over 50% of real estate sales are cooperative sales; that is, a real estate agent other than yours brings in the buyer. Your REALTOR® acts as the marketing coordinator, disbursing information about your property to other real estate agents through a Multiple Listing Service or other cooperative marketing networks, open houses for agents, etc. The REALTOR® Code of Ethics requires REALTORS® to utilize these cooperative relationships when they benefit their clients. Cooperation between agents can only widen the pool of potential buyers for your property.

4. Your REALTOR® will know when, where and how to advertise your property. There is a misconception that only advertising sells real estate. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® studies show that 82% of real estate sales are the result of agent contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, family and personal contacts. When a property is marketed with the help of your REALTOR®, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. Your REALTOR® will generally prescreen and accompany qualified prospects through your property.

5. Your REALTOR® can help you objectively evaluate every buyer's proposal without compromising your marketing position. This initial agreement is only the beginning of a process of appraisals, inspections and financing -- a lot of possible pitfalls. Your REALTOR® can help you write a legally binding, win-win agreement that will be more likely to make it through the process.

6. Your REALTOR® can help close the sale of your home. Between the initial sales agreement and closing (or settlement), questions may arise. For example, unexpected repairs may be required to obtain financing or a cloud in the title is discovered. The required paperwork alone is overwhelming for most sellers. Your REALTOR® is the best person to objectively help you resolve these issues and move the transaction to closing (or settlement).

BUYERS

1. Your REALTOR® can search the MLS database for exactly the property you seek and can provide comparables to help you make sound judgments. The MRIS database contains all the active, pending, sold and expired properties for past years that were marketed by the 30,000 MRIS REALTORS®. This treasure trove of data will help you in your search and negotiations. I can email any of this info to you in the form of lists or reports, complete with color photos.

2. Your REALTOR® can assist you in the selection process by providing objective information about each property. Agents who are REALTORS® have access to a variety of informational resources. REALTORS® can provide local community information on utilities, zoning. schools, etc. There are two things you'll want to know. First, will the property provide the environment I want for a home or investment? Second, will the property have resale value when I am ready to sell? I can help you answer these questions.

3. Your REALTOR® can help you negotiate. There are myriad negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession and often the inclusion or exclusion of repairs and furnishings or equipment. The purchase agreement should provide a period of time for you to complete appropriate inspections and investigations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase. Your REALTOR® can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required and can assist in having any needed repairs or upgrades handled.

4. Your REALTOR® provides due diligence during the evaluation of the property. This could include inspections for termites, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, roof condition, septic tank and well tests, just to name a few. Your REALTOR® can assist you in finding qualified responsible professionals to do most of these investigations and provide you with written reports.

5. Your REALTOR® can help you in understanding different financing options and in identifying qualified lenders. Loan have only become more confusing with so many more options to choose from. And different types of properties in the country often work better with different types of financing. I will help you unravel the mysteries and find the best type of loan considering your specific situation.

BUYERS AND SELLERS

1. Your REALTOR® is constantly upgrading his/her educational level by taking additional courses offered only by the National Association of Realtors in order to better serve their clients and customers. These courses assist the REALTOR® with more effective marketing, reducing buyer/seller liability issues, legal training, financing, effective use of the Internet and other electronic media, communications, etc. Most REALTORS® have achieved higher levels of service with educational designations such as GRI, CBR and e-Pro. I personally attend several weeks of advanced training in real estate each year.

2. Your REALTOR® is likely to be very adept at using email and electronic communication. The fact is, I can email about anything but the property itself. I can send forms, photos, MLS reports, data sheets, signed contracts, inspection reports, maps, advertisements, web pages, resource lists, web links and anything else you need to you NOW. Email is checked and answered several times each day.

3. Your REALTOR® will help you in understanding exactly who is represented in the transaction. Today, a myriad of different "agency" choices may confuse even an experienced buyer or seller. Does "your" real estate agent truly represent YOU, or only the other party? Your REALTOR® will explain the options right from the beginning. For your information, I ALWAYS represent the buyer in any transaction. I may also represent the seller (if I am the listing agent) EQUALLY in a type of agency known as "Consensual Dual Agency" which allows a level playing field to both parties in the transaction and a non-contentious negotiation environment. I feel that this benefits all parties and results in a more satisfactory settlement.

4. Your MRIS REALTOR® will place all listings where anyone with Internet access can see it! All active MRIS REALTOR® residential listings can be viewed on www.realtor.com (public access to ALL REALTOR® listings, nationwide), www.homesdatabase.com (the public portal to MRIS listings), Homeseekers.com, AOL and WashigtonPost.com. The list is being expanded to several other sites at this time, as well. Land listings are not yet available on all those sites but is on most and will be soon on the others. Of course, listings placed with me will be found on my own heavily viewed web site, www.mthome4u.com, where savvy buyers find all the data they need about any property and its surroundings and my sellers see exactly how I am marketing their property.

5. Your REALTOR® will guide you through the closing process and make sure everything flows together smoothly. Your REALTOR®will handle all the issues required to bring your property to a successful settlement and will keep you constantly advised on the process as it takes place. REALTORS® take the mystery out of real estate transactions.