Should I Use a Broker, a Realtor, or Someone Else?

Who should you use to represent you in a real estate transaction? An agent? A broker? A Realtor? Here's a brief explanation of real estate agency.

An agent is someone who acts on behalf of another person. A real estate agent acts on behalf of his client to buy or sell real estate. In California, the "agent" is the agency for which the individual "agent" works. I am an agent, but I work for the agency, Ming Tree GMAC Real Estate. Ming Tree GMAC is the agent of record.

Per California law, each agency must be run by a Broker of Record. This is a person who has been licensed as a real estate broker by the state, and who takes responsibility for all of the real estate activities that occur under the license of the agency, or brokerage. A Broker of Record might choose to hire no one, and to operate as an independent agency. In that case, he is the broker of record, and the salesperson; he must keep up with the latest court cases and laws about real estate, the latest technology, the latest marketing strategies - he is a one man shop! He does it all.

Other brokers of record might choose to hire other real estate agents to work as sales people within their agency. These sales people can have a brokers' license (often they are called broker associates) or a salesperson's license. In this type of agency, the broker of record concentrates on the legal issues, institutional marketing, and support systems of the agency; the salespeople focus on meeting with clients and selling real estate. While a brokers' license does give a certain amount of additional credibility to a salesperson, it doesn't necessarily make them a better agent. One of the top agents in our office only recently got his brokers license, after he had a successful 15 year career as one of the top agents in the county!

Brokers of record, broker sales people, and licensed sales people are Realtors if they are members of their local Realtor association, like the Humboldt Association of Realtors, their state association (California Association of Realtors) and the National Association of Realtors. These associations are trade associations, and all of their members are designated as Realtors.

I am a real estate sales person licensed to sell real estate throughout the state of California. The agency for whom I work, Ming Tree GMAC Real Estate, has approximately 30 sales agent, an office manager, a transaction coordinator, an agent education coordinator, and a marketing coordinator. All of this help means that I can focus on my clients and meeting their real estate needs. Call me at (707) 499-7111, or drop by my website so I can help you with your real estate needs.

How Much Is My Home Worth?

Clients always ask me, “How much is my home worth?” The first step is remembering that neither you as the seller, nor I as the real estate agent, have the power to make your home sell for a certain price. It is the market that determines the fair market value of your home. What is the market? It is the price at which 2 buyers are willing to argue over your home. How can you ascertain what that price will be?

The most general way is to look at the asking prices of homes that are similar to yours. Go to the search page at www.RealtorJeff.net, type in the general characteristics of your home, including the neighborhood, and discount the prices by 10%. This will give you a pretty good rough estimate of the value of your home.



As you get closer to selling your home, give me a call (707.499.7111) and I will prepare a CMA, or Competitive Market Analysis. In a CMA I gather the most recent sold homes, pending sales, and active homes that compare closely to your home in regard to house specifications and selling features. I make adjustments, and am able to determine a price range where your home is likely to sell. In general, sold homes will tell you what you are likely to sell your home for, while homes actively on the market tell you what your home will not sell for.



I provide CMA’s for my clients free of charge, so if you are wondering what your home is worth, give me a call at (707) 499-7111, email me at Jeff@RealtorJeff.com, or drop on by the website!

June 2010 Humboldt County Real Estate Market Statistics

The numbers are in, and our real estate market statistics for June 2010 here in Humboldt County, California are hanging in there. Our "Active Homes," while rising, are still staying below the levels of the last couple of years. “Normal” for this time of year is up to around 650; we’re above that at 709.

Our level of "Sold Homes," 89, is as high as it's been in 2 years. The combination of lower inventory of homes on the market, and the higher volume of sales should support prices, keeping them from going lower, and perhaps even encouraging a modest price increase.

But not this month. Our "Average Sales Price" is down, considerably lower than any recent years, but at $261,265 it's still pretty close to the $275,000 to $300,000 range we've seen for the last 18 months. The trend line is erratic, and only time will tell if this is a downward “bounce” or a trend.

The "Median Sales Price" is down as well. I suspect these averages are down because of a higher rate of "starter home" sales caused by the government home buyer credits than any fundamental shift in the market. Only time will tell.

As a Buyer, Can’t I Save Money by Approaching the Seller Directly?

Can a home buyer save money by approaching a home seller directly, without a real estate agent? A first time home buyer looking for a starter home in Arcata, CA called the other day, and we had a great discussion about first time home-buying. “Why would I want to use a buyers’ agent,” he asked, “when I can go to the seller, offer to save him the commission for the buyer’s agent, and get a better deal?” I appreciate this client’s honesty and directness! Many buyers and sellers of real estate don’t really understand how the process works!

Typically, when a home owner wants to sell his home, he calls a real estate agent and signs an exclusive right-to-sell listing contract, in which he agrees to pay the agent a commission, 6%, for example, if he successfully sells his home. That real estate agent then enters the home into the local Realtor multiple listing service, or MLS, with on offer to split that commission.

Typically, in Humboldt County, California, that offer is a 50/50 split; both the seller’s and buyer’s real estate agents would get 3% each. Additionally, under California law, a real estate agent can’t split his commission with someone who is not also a licensed real estate agent. So the listing agent will get a 6% commission, no matter who the home is sold to, and he will either split that commission with another agent, or keep it all to himself; he can’t pass it on to a buyer who is not a licensed agent.

So, if the seller is not able to pass any commission “savings” on to the buyer, why would a buyer want to try to represent himself? The seller has agreed to pay a buyer’s agent through his listing agreement; why would the buyer want to turn down professional representation by a Realtor that’s already paid for?

My first-time home buyer has hired me, and we are looking for their first home as we speak!

Humboldt County Real Estate Market Statistics for May, 2010

Our Humboldt County, California residential real estate market shows continuing signs of stabilizing and recovery!


Our active homes continued our seasonal rise to 682, above our “normal” market of 650, but well below the 720-740 range of the past 2 years.

The number of sold homes in May of 2010 also increased to 81, well above the figures from the last 2 years, 69 & 65 respectively. 81 is below our “normal” range here in Humboldt County, which is around 100.

This lower number of active homes on the market and higher number of sold homes should encourage stability in the pricing of Humboldt County homes. Sure enough, the average sales price of a home was $279,724, right in the $275K - $300K range we’ve seen over the last 18 months. Our median home sales price was $255,000, well within the $250K - $275K range we’ve seen over the same time frame.

The next rock we need to navigate is the ending of the Federal home buyers’ tax credit. With these solid numbers heading in the summer selling season, hopefully we’ll see a smooth transition back to a stable, independently supported real estate market here in Humboldt County, California!

Marijuana Co-ops and Distribution Centers in Eureka, CA?

I’m on the Planning Commission for the city of Eureka, CA, and on Tuesday, June 1 from 2:00 – 4:00 we are looking at a city planning ordinance to deal with medical marijuana. The ordinance has 2 parts. Part 1 is about individuals with a 215 card growing their own marijuana in their own homes; it’s pretty straight forward. State law and subsequent court cases say we have to allow them to grow their own pot, so the ordinance sets up guidelines about how that can be done. I encourage you to read the text of Prop. 215.

The 2nd part of the ordinance, though, is more controversial. There are those 215 permit holders who aren’t able to grow their own marijuana (health impediments or lack of permission from landlords, for example) so we are discussing whether the City of Eureka should allow for 215 Cooperatives to grow marijuana on larger scales, and whether they should be allowed to set up distribution centers for their members.

Theoretically, the 215 card holders would set up a cooperative that would grow the marijuana in an industrial building somewhere, for example, and then set up a distribution center in some place like an office complex for their members to pick up their marijuana. The questions are 1) Does the City want marijuana cooperatives and distribution centers at all, 2) Does the City want to allow a limited number of them, or 3) Does the City want to allow an unlimited number of them.

The first time this came before us we had a lot of “unlimited” proponents, folks who have 215 cards, and some health professionals that promote the use of medicinal marijuana. We didn’t have any of the following:

1) Health professionals that don’t support medical marijuana
2) Community members concerned about the sociological impact of marijuana coops and distribution centers
3) Law enforcement folks concerned about crime associated with marijuana coops and distribution centers
4) Youth/Education folks concerned about access for young people

So if you or someone you know falls into one of these categories, either pass this blog's link on to them or send me their name and contact info so I can contact them directly.

Also, if you have strong feelings on this issue, show up at the City Council Chambers in City Hall on Tuesday, June 1 at 2:00 to voice your concerns.

Is Print Advertising Dying?

One of the hot questions in real estate is this: “Is print advertising dying?” While many think so, I don’t. What is dying is “traditional” advertising. What’s the difference?

Traditional advertising is more of a mindset rather than a medium. Take the standard glossy real estate magazine. It will have 48 pages of ads from different Realtors, each page filled with a small photo of a home and 20 words or so of text. The debate rages about whether addresses should be added or withheld in order to get the buyer prospect to call the Realtor. Can a small photo and 20 words of text, address or not, really help to sell a house?

Similarly, many agents use a local real estate cable channel to advertise their listings. Ours uses 3 photos and a 21 second voiceover. Certainly 3 photos are better than 1, but could you adequately describe your home in those confines?

I practice “Non-Traditional Traditional Marketing,” a concept I’ve developed to use traditional media in a non-traditional way. With the advent of the internet, I can use a traditional newspaper ad, a Home Magazine ad, or a real estate cable ad to direct potential buyers to a custom website of your home, where we have all the time and space and photos and floor plans and virtual tours and voice-overs…anything we want to tell buyers about your home, we can tell them! And all beginning with one photo, a couple of selling features, and a web address in a print or broadcast advertisement. Heck, I can put more information about your home, via a web site address, on the back of a business card than a “traditional” Realtor can put in a full page magazine ad!

So the question is, “What kind of mindset do you have?” Are you happy with “traditional” real estate marketing, or do you and your home deserve cutting edge, “Extreme Marketing?” I’d love to visit with you and share more of the difference.