We talk a lot here on our blog about being investor buyers . . . direct buyers . . . cash buyers. . . But did you know that all of our team have obtained a real estate agent licenses in Kansas and Missouri? Further, most of the team is also a licensed Realtor.
Currently Scott and Kim are still licensed in Kansas And Missouri and operate as agents over at Realty Resource
What’s the Difference between a Licensed Agent and a Licensed Realtor
Licensed Agent
Both an agent and a Realtor go through the same training classes to get our obtain our real estate license. This training helps us understand real estate, sales, buyers, sellers, basic terms and the law. We are then required to pass a test proving we are proficient in the basics and understand the law. We also have to pass a background check. This gets is the same license to practice real estate.
After we have that basic real estate agent license we are now able to go out and practice as an agent. We have the legal right to help others buy houses or sell houses and to earn a commission. We have to complete continuing education in every state where we hold a real estate agent license and we also have to attest to the fact that we have not violated the law.
The Realtor Higher Standard
While all Realtors are agents, not all agents take the extra step to become a Realtor. According to the National Association of Realtors, the owner of the designation: “The term REALTOR® has one, and only one, meaning: REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.”
The Realtor Marketing Platform
Being a Realtor also gives us the ability to participate in the Multiple Listing Services or the MLS. The Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), owned and operated by REALTORS®, is the most powerful real estate marketing system in the country. Housing market information originating from the MLS® has long been recognized as the most reliable and comprehensive data available for those looking to buy or sell a home.
The MLS now shares data with a lot of home-selling platforms like Zillow and gives the Realtor an edge when it comes to helping someone sell a house. Their data is shared across all the other platforms so potential buyers can see it, and gives the home seller the widest exposure to buyers anywhere. So if someone has a traditional house, with a traditional home selling timeline, listing it with a Realtor in the traditional listing model will in most cases generate the highest sales price.
When the Traditional Home Selling Model Does Not Work
Keep in mind not all home sellers fit the traditional home selling model and that’s where we come in as investor buyers.
- For the seller that does not have the time to wait and needs to sell quickly.
- For the seller that needs one or more major home repairs.
- For the seller that has a very full house and no time to clean it out.
- For the seller that wants to leave everything.
- For the seller does not want a lot of people walking through their house.
For these sellers where the traditional selling model does not work, a professional home buyer, an investor buyer is often a better option.
We have purchased a lot of houses that have everything still in them, most traditional listings will not work in this case. We have purchased houses with a bit of creative financing when the home was worth less that what the open market would have paid for it. Or for cases where the homeowner can earn only so much on the sale of a home and still qualify for benefits, we can also get creative. The traditional real estate agent or Realtor can’t often do that.
When You Want Options for Selling Your House
So when you have a house to sell in Kansas City and you need options, we are one of the best places to start. We can chat with you about options over the phone. We can come to walk through your home and assess the repairs and updates needed. Then we can present you with two to three options:
An all-cash offer, closing quickly for those that are on a deadline or don’t want any more holding costs adding up.
A listing option, where it might take a bit longer but we list it and market it to the largest number of people to get the highest cash price, but this does take a bit longer. We do charge a commission and the title company will charge closing costs.
A creative option, for those folks that want to sell, but can’t get all their equity in a lump sum or perhaps owe more than their home is worth, we can put on our thinking caps and find something that works for you.
When you are ready to sell or just want to learn more about options, give us a call at (816) 408-3600 . We are happy to chat about your situation and give you some guidance. Then if you want to proceed we can schedule an in-home visit for us to learn more so we can give you the 2 or 3 options we have to offer.