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When you’re in the market for a house, it is good to check what type of home the builder built during the construction process. If you see that the house is a energy star home, using modern construction techniques to ensure the home will have low monthly bills, it might be a good idea to choose that home over traditionally built houses. Many people that are in the market for a new home will more than likely be searching for a house that has efficiency in mind, and also the environment in mind. If you are looking to get into building homes, or you are already someone who builds homes, it might be a good idea to look into how you can become an energy star homebuilder.

The main things for builders to consider is that energy star homes hold their value better than normal houses, and they do not cost all that much more then building a house the normal way. Its not like an energy star home is a completely different building process. There are just many small differences that will end up being seen when it comes time to pay the electric bill, water bill, or your gas bill. The entire idea of these types of homes is to conserve energy so that people will not have outrageous monthly bills while living in the home.

The larger the house a builder is constructing, the more it will cost to upkeep each month, and the higher the energy bills will be. A great selling point of a large house that is built with energy savings in mind is that it does not use as much power as smaller homes that weren’t built with energy star rating. People are looking to save money, and are looking for a house that will hold a constant temperature consistently, which is what an energy star home directly represents. A builder will have an easier time selling a highly efficient home than selling a house that was not built with energy in mind.

For builders to become energy star builders, there will be independent inspections done by third parties to ensure a builder is not making false claims as to how they built a home. This protects homeowners from buying a house that is claiming something that it is not, and will also make sure that these builders stand out from builders that are still building homes traditionally.

Getting the right property agent is critical to the successful marketing and sale of your home.

If you’ve ever sold a house with property agents who just seemed like they didn’t care, you’ll know how difficult the process became. Just as good agents make moving house an easier process, bad agents will slow it down.

When it’s time to put your house on the market, you should always get quotes from at least three agents. Use these seven questions to quiz your prospective agents and find the one that you feel most comfortable with, and trust to do the best job.

1) Have you dealt with similar properties to this one?

There’s no point trying to sell your three bed semi-detached with property agents who are more used to selling commercial property. If they say yes, test their knowledge of the local area by asking how much similar properties have sold for recently. They should know the answer straight away. Whether the agent can answer the question confidently is more important than the answer they give.

2) How will you market my house?

One of the key roles of property agents is to get potential buyers into your house. They do this in a variety of ways. Advertising in local newspapers is important, as is placement of your home in a wide number of online property portals. A town centre shop can also help grab passing traffic. The best agents maintain lists of potential buyers so they can do some direct marketing. They build these lists through people enquiring in the branch. The efficiency of the agent and the sophistication of their contact system will determine how quickly they can match potential buyers to your property.

3) Who will handle the viewings?

Some agents prefer to show potential buyers round themselves so they can better control the selling process. And research does show that houses shown by property agents sell more quickly. But there is something to be said for showing people round yourself. It can keep the viewing process as a more relaxed and natural process.

4) How long does the average property stay on your books?

The quicker properties sell, the better for everyone. But you should be wary if houses seem to fly through an agent’s books very quickly. This could mean they have a habit of undervaluing properties which are quickly snapped up. That’s obviously not good for you. Ask the same question of the three agents; their answers should be broadly similar.

5) How much will you charge?

Commission rates can vary wildly from agent to agent; anything from 1% to 3% of the sale price achieved. It’s OK to haggle. In a buoyant local market there will be plenty of healthy competition among the property agents, and they will be much more open to a deal to get your business. Only agree arrangements on a ‘no sale, no fee’ basis. Check how long you will be tied to an agent for, and what their notice period is. And be aware you will pay more commission if you have more than one agent representing your house.

6) What percentage of your sales fall through?

It’s an unfortunate fact for estate agents that a fairly high percentage of sales don’t happen, normally because the buyer just changes their mind. Some estimates put this as high as one in five sales. Check with your prospective agent and see what measures they have in place to reduce failed transactions.

7) Are you a member of an ombudsman scheme?

There’s no compulsory regulatory scheme for estate agents in the UK at the moment. So ask your property agents if they belong to a body such as the National Association of Estate Agents or the Ombudsman of Estate Agents. These both require members to stick to strict codes of conduct, and deal with customer complaints in specific ways.

If you are new to rental property investing, the first person you will need on your team is a real estate agent. A good real estate agent is the most important person on your team because he/she will be the one that:

• Makes you aware of what rental properties are available for sale, and coordinates the showings.
• Helps educate you on the details of the business as it relates to the local market (the best streets in the neighborhood, advice for handling tenants, etc.).
• Provides referrals of professionals you will need as your investment activity progresses.
• Coordinates the buy & sell transactions, including all negotiating, closing requirements, and associated documentation.

REQUIREMENTS OF A GOOD RENTAL PROPERTY AGENT

You’ll want an agent that specializes in investment properties because this segment of the market is dramatically different than the primary residence segment. First and foremost, the negotiating strategy is different. For example, investors are generally more patient than homeowners in terms of waiting for the best offer, as they are bringing in rental income. Therefore, the sense of urgency is lower than for someone who, for example, must sell his home due to job relocation. Similarly, much of the emotional element of the transaction is eliminated when buying or selling rental property, because in these cases the numbers are king.

Additionally, you’ll find that an agent who specializes in rental properties tends to have access to “hidden” listings, as their selling clients are also likely to be investors, and it’s in the best interest of the agent to have both the buyer and seller of the transaction be his/her clients in order to maximize his/her commission.

Also, when looking at rental properties, you’ll have to work around tenant’s schedules, and having an agent that knows how to communicate with tenants can help in many situations. For example, if the tenant is unaware of the appointment and you essentially just “show up” without the tenant’s knowledge, an agent skilled in pacifying the tenant so that you can view the property while you are already there will save you a lot of aggravation.

WHERE TO FIND A GOOD AGENT

To find a good real estate agent that specializes in rental properties, you’ll have to do a little prospecting. Here is what I recommend: visit www.realtor.com and do a search for investment properties within your market. The realtor.com listings do not provide the names of specific agents, but they do provide names and phone numbers of listing offices.

Within your search results, count the number of investment property listings per real estate office. Call the listing office that has the most properties for sale and say that you saw a property that you would like to inquire about. You will be transferred to the listing agent, who likely will be the primary investment property agent within that specific office. Tell that person you are looking to buy rental properties for investment purposes, and simply ask if you can be their client.

WORKING WITH YOUR NEW AGENT

Ask your new agent to send you all the active rental property listings in your target area. Then you can run some numbers, do some drive-bys, and ultimately set up time to physically inspect the top few possibilities from the full list.

If you ultimately find that you do not like working with the agent, just rinse and repeat via realtor.com. I have never been bound by any kind of exclusivity arrangement with an agent for just looking at properties, so you can always move on to another agent if necessary.

Property search is made easier when agents and consultants are hired. Property search agents and property estate agents take away the hassles that come with finding the perfect place. Both professionals do the same thing but they also have a difference. Property estate agents work for both the seller and the buyer while property search agents work solely for buyers. This assures that no complications will arise from conflicts of interest. Their only goal is to help buyers acquire the best house at the most reasonable price.

Property search agents are also more personal. They need to do meet ups and physically meeting with the client to better cover the details of the house that’ll suit their interest. They work hard on building rapport with their clients and to understand exactly what they want.

Property search agents do the search for their clients. They are even often called property finders. They scout the area for possible properties that may fit the client’s requirements. They then check them individually and do an assessment of the property.

When you look for a property, visiting those that do not suit the wants or needs is completely a waste of time but it is part of the whole process. Property agents eliminate this. They narrow down the search and recommend those that meet the requirements a client has set.

Once a property has been found, the negotiations begin and property search agents can help out with this. Their in-depth knowledge of the real estate world and their expertise in negotiation ensures that clients get their houses at the lowest price possible.

Would you be surprised to learn that your dentist has the candy in the corner? Would you be embarrassed that the mechanic who fixes the brakes on your car was also selling electronic goods?

These examples may seem a bit exaggerated, but they are relevant to our discussion. In such scenarios, you’d be extremely worried because of conflicts of interest that such business could generate. This is actually the reason why the mandate report was created: to protect property agents who claim to work for your benefit, don’t end up working on behalf of another party.

Under the law, your property agent must fulfill the duties and responsibilities arising from the report of mandate: to offer his services with due care and integrity, confidentiality and with loyalty.

The property agent must indicate in writing that he agrees to act as your agent in a property transaction. He can represent the house buyer or the house seller and in some cases, the agent can represent both the house seller and buyer involved in a single transaction. The important point is that the property agent disclose this information, to the parties concerned as required by law.

The types of property relationships:

The buyer’s property agent

The estate agent works exclusively for the buyer, takes an oath to respect confidentiality and works to find the best possible opportunity for the house buyer. The house seller should make sure not to reveal anything before the estate agent of the buyer that he would hide from the buyer. Indeed, the house buyer’s agent is required to bring this information to the attention of his client.

The seller’s estate agent

The estate agent is obliged under the law and ethics, to work solely on behalf of the house seller. The property seller’s estate agent finds the best possible conditions for his client and has no obligation to the purchaser other than to disclose any defect in the condition of the property.

As a property seller, you should be able to count on his full confidence. As a house buyer, be careful what you say in the presence of the agent of the seller. The house seller’s estate agent is obliged to disclose any information that could benefit his client.

Dual property agent mandate

In some cases, the same property agent (or agents of the same property brokerage) represents both the seller and the buyer. In such a situation, the broker must be impartial. The nature of the dual mandate should be disclosed to the client and the client must acknowledge in writing that he has understood the nature of this relationship with the appointed property agent.