In the ever changing world the internet has allowed us to hire people to work with us and work for us in fashions we would have never dreamed of in the past. With the quick swipe of a device or a few key strokes we can contact someone who can help us sell possibly the largest asset we will ever own or the largest debt we will ever know. That is a big task.
In our area we have people move in and out quite frequently it is an amazing area, Santa Cruz and casts quite a spell. But things change and people find that their families won’t or cannot relocate here, a better job is located elsewhere and they have to move. Yet the allure of our area brings them in at an increasing rate and buyer demand is at an all time high. With people moving in often they want to use their realtor from another area and as a listing agent I understand they want to use someone they trust. But what I see from my view as a listing agent I find that agents from out of the area have to encourage their buyers to make higher offers and often give up more because the buyer’s agent cannot use local connections to build trust and be chosen for their local reputation of performance and trust.
As for lenders I see the same thing happen as well I see buyers use out of area lenders and this can cost the buyer more too. Often out of town lenders rely on distance and different time zones to ignore or put off return calls and emails in a timely fashion. This disrupts trust, and communication. Upsetting the seller can cause chaos, and sometimes demands may be made on the buyer that is hard to complete. I have also noticed out of town lenders have struggled with appraisals too, as their orders maybe overlooked for appraisers who want to help local lenders they know and trust. And the appraisers may want to support them and choose their appraisal jobs first. While lenders and appraisers no longer communicate localism is still very strong in our community. Most lenders work for large corporations but have local reputations for completing the sale and keeping the waters calm during the transaction this can make a big difference when the transaction gets rough.
For sellers when you sell especially in a hot market when everything sells, using a local agent to get the highest price may not be absolutely necessary. Yet when the market changes you want someone who can help you weather the change and decide how to proceed. Also having someone local to service the listing, lost keys, doors left open, garbage cans being brought back in and all the little details can matter more if the listing is taking longer to sell. Having a vacant house not being physically viewed and cared for weekly is not a good thing.
Santa Cruz is a very local town with a lot of locals who know each other. This can make all the difference in the world for a buyer who keeps getting beat out on offers. A buyer using a local agent and local lender may get a chance at a property based on their qualifications and their agent and lender’s representation. Sellers can do very well with local agents to keep them up on the market and properly care and service the listing. One last thought markets change and using the local expert helps with any shifts, as an out of area agent may not know of the changing tide costing their client money. Who you work with matters.