marshall28bruun

Buying or selling real estate is a significant step for individuals and families with implication that could last for several years. This is why the question of which real estate company/agent to go with is imperative. Answering this question is a process that should involve research, dedication and trust. I am Artur Muller, Founder/CEO of AMLUXE Realty, a real estate brokerage based out of Lighthouse Point, Florida. I thought of writing this article to help in your decision making of how to choose a real estate agent to purchase or sell a home.
I have been working in the real estate industry of South Florida since 2013 and in 2017 I founded my own independent real estate company called AMLUXE Realty based out of Lighthouse Point, Florida. I was offered many opportunities to work with big companies and had many introspective debates with myself about whether to join a well known and well established real estate company or start my own. My decision making process entailed lots of research and I am here to share my conclusions which will help you understand and decide who you should choose to hire to represent you when buying or selling real estate.
With the overwhelming amount of real estate agents these days, it can be very confusing choosing a company/agent to represent you. Many people say and believe that using a well known real estate company, gives you many benefits over using smaller independent companies. That might have been true before technology came along, but it certainly is not accurate anymore. As we know, technology has changed the way we do business in every industry. The internet allows us to do things we never were able to do before. It also opens the door to greater competition between small independent companies and big companies. With all these changes and new online resources, it is absolutely necessary for every business to adjust and stay up to date in this constantly evolving tech savvy environment.
With that being said, any small independent real estate company has the same capabilities as any big company when it comes to marketing a property for sale or finding the best options to buy a property. The education and testing that real estate agents have to go through is all the same regardless of which company they want to work with. The standards of practice and professionalism is regulated by the government. Most real Estate agents from all real estate companies use the same purchase/sale contracts. In other words, the only difference is that agents pay higher fees to use a big company’s name. From a real estate agent's perspective, it is becoming more popular to start their own small independent company, as they see that technology allows them access to the best tools and resources available. However, when choosing a real estate company/agent, it is extremely important that the agent you are working with is up to date and using the right tools in this new environment of doing business. Therefore real estate companies/agents with several years of experience do not necessarily have an edge over a new agent or smaller independent companies.
When you are selling real estate, understand that there is no buyer that will only look at listings from one particular real estate company because of its name. So having the name of a big company on your front yard sign will make no difference. As agents we use the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) when working with sellers and buyers, which is how the properties get sold most of the time. Agents send their buyers options according to the specific details and price range they are looking for, and the buyers choose the homes they wish to visit and consequently purchase. That decision is based on price, location, size and other factors unique to each individual buyer. Sellers should take note that it is extremely important to have pictures of the property professionally taken for the best results and best chances of establishing the right first impression with a potential buyer. I work with a lot of buyers and I always choose to send them the properties with the best pictures which helps the buyer accurately visualize what the home looks like. The less desirable alternative is a buyer who wastes valuable time going to look at a property because you are not confident that you see the whole picture.
As far as having direct exposure to other agents, there are many different channels and methods to share a listing with thousands of agents from real estate companies world wide and locally. There is no broader network within any big real estate company that tops the capabilities we have using online tools to create the same or even more exposure than any well known real estate company. So whether you choose a small independent company or a big well known company, the exposure of the property does not depend on the size of the brokerage.
When you are looking to buy a home, as mentioned above, all agents have access to the same properties via MLS (Multiple Listing Service). So whether Lighthouse Point luxury real estate use someone who has been in the business for many years and works for a big real estate company or someone who just started and is with a small independent real estate company, we all have access to the same options.
In conclusion, my best advice is to choose someone that you know you can trust, and that will look out for your best interest not their commission check. Someone who is up to date with the ever evolving technologies. Someone who knows the market you are looking to buy/sell and can negotiate. There is no priority for buyers to choose to buy a home from a particular brokerage. Also, there is no priority the seller will choose an offer based on the brokerage representing the buyer. I have seen so many unsold listings that were listed by big real estate companies that have been in business for many years, and were sold within days after listed by an agent with a small independent company. I also have seen many the other way around. So in other words, do not choose the company based on a name of the brokerage, as it makes no difference. Choose based on the agent.