Answering the Internet’s Questions

I’m answering the internet’s 13 most asked questions about real estate.

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Today I’m going to be answering the most commonly asked questions on the internet about real estate. I’m delivering my honest answers.

Why is real estate so expensive in California? We have million-dollar weather. That’s why.

Is “real estate agent” capitalized? No, “real estate agent” is not capitalized, but “Realtor” is, and you should use the registered trademark symbol whenever you write it: “Realtor ®”.

Am I going to be renting forever? In what location are you renting your home? Do you have enough money for a down payment? There are FHA loans where you can put down 3%. I always recommend buying real estate; I don’t care who you are. When I teach my real estate class, I advocate two things: get your real estate license as early as possible, and secondly, buy real estate as early as you can.

Real estate agents are overpaid. My competition is overpaid, I’m not overpaid.

Why do real estate agents do open houses? Most agents do open houses to meet new clients. Open houses are fascinating: One time a person brought their dog into a $4 million house, and we said they couldn’t bring them inside. They put the dog down anyway, and it proceeded to poop in the master bedroom and walk away. That was really fun to explain to our seller.

Why do real estate agents hate Zillow? The interesting thing is, Zillow can be your best friend. Agents that are a little insecure with themselves project and hate things that represent change. Zillow is a great conversation piece. If you’re good at what you do, there’s always going to be a job for you.

Are real estate agents worth it? Some are, some aren’t. Am I worth it? I believe so. We have over 200 five-star reviews. The average agent has maybe three or four. Our goal isn’t selling another house, it’s to receive a five-star review from you because that means we’re worth it.

Can real estate agents have tattoos? In certain religions, you’re not supposed to have tattoos, but agents can have tattoos. Perhaps not facial tattoos, unless it says “Buy a house with me!” I am happily married, we have four kids, and we all got a matching tattoo. I don’t think my mom even knows that… sorry, mom.

Can real estate agents talk about schools? Technically, all we can do is research statistics, then say something like “the statistics rank this school very high on this website/report.” Due to liability reasons, we can’t say what we personally think of a school.

Can real estate agents originate mortgage loans? Can real estate agents do mortgage loans in California? Yes, but some other states require a separate license for each.

Who does an agent use to buy real estate? If I’m buying locally, I’m going to use myself. You want to use the best person around, so if I’m buying in an area I’m not an expert in, I will hire the most knowledgeable and experienced agent. How do I know who that is? I go on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and I look at the top agents: Who sold the most number of homes and the most dollar volume. Then I check Yelp! reviews.

Are real estate agents rich? There’s a misconception that agents make a lot more money than they do. The agents you see on TV are a tiny percentage of us.

What do real estate agents do all day? The good ones should be working! I write notes on every property and I have a database of it, so I can pull it up on my phone and tell people I’m meeting with that I’ve seen the home and know the pros and cons. The great part about our business is that there’s no regular routine; every day is different.

I love real estate. I’ve been doing this for 25 years, so it’s not unusual that I work 14- to 18-hour days. If you enjoy what you do, then it’s not work.

If you have any further questions about real estate, please feel free to reach out to me by phone or email. I would love to help you!