Works Nights and Weekends - This goes without saying.  What’s the number one thing that real estate agents wish they could change?  It is most likely the schedule of having to work on nights and weekends.  But as in any industry when you are dealing with the working public, you have to work when your clients are not working.  Based on the grueling schedule that has been featured on TV during these Olympics, it is obvious that Michael Phelps would do well working around the clock.

Does Not Give Up - Another attribute that a good real estate agent has is persistency.  It may take months to find the right house for a client and having a persistent agent on your side can guarantee a positive result.  Other times, a listing on the market may take months to sell and not giving up on the ‘race’ to sell the home is something that a real estate agent must attain.

Works Well Under Pressure - While the general public may not give Realtors credit for this, most agents have to work extremely well under pressure and on their toes.  With so many moving parts in the real estate transaction and the ever evolving changes in the financing industry, it is vital for agents to perform under heat.  Imagine the stress involved when buying or selling a house…now imagine having that stress multiple times a month as an agent is working with different buyers and sellers.  Having the strong mind frame to work under pressure is something that Michael Phelps can bring to the table.

Works Well By Himself and In A Team - Typically, real estate agents are independent contractors and have to wear many hats.  As the main contact for the client, we have to be able to individually provide various services to the client on many aspects of the home selling or buying process.  However, once we are in contract on a property, we have to become good team members working with the other agent in the transaction, home inspectors, escrow officer and the bank.  Michael Phelps has proven that he can certainly work well by himself and others.

Stay tuned to find out why real estate agent would make great swimmers…or maybe not!

Chris Kamali is a TriValley Real Estate Agent, helping clients buy and sell homes in Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Livermore.

Chris Kamali is a TriValley Real Estate Agent, helping clients buy and sell homes in Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Livermore.

As the graph shows, activity has continually increased in the Trivalley for real estate sales in 2008.  A combination of attractive pricing and increased rent has brought back many of the buyers.  The entry level market has certainly heated up and with time this will eventually lead to the mid range and higher priced homes to follow.  Whether we are–at the bottom, several months away from it or just passing it–buyer confidence in the market is back and homes are selling.  If you have any specific questions about your Trivalley neighborhood or the neighborhood you would like to move to, feel free to comment or contact me.  

Chris Kamali is a TriValley Real Estate Agent, helping clients buy and sell homes in Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Livermore.

While I am a proponent of getting feedback from those you trust when you are making a large decision, you must keep in mind that the advice you are receiving is solely based on that person’s personal experience with the matter and not a well rounded responce (unless the person has gone through the same situation several times). 

For example, if a trusted co-worker of yours purchased an investment property several years ago out in Mountain House–rode the appreciation wave up while collecting rent from a tenant, and then sold at the peak in 2005 and put over $200,000 in his pocket–he would probably encourage you to purchase investment property in a speculative market.  Ask the same question from the person who bought that home in Mountain House in 2005 and now their investment is worth 40%-50% less than their purchase price and they may have a different view on that market.  One friend will tell you it is the best time to buy today, while the other says wait it out.  You cousin says don’t ever buy a condo and your aunt says never buy something older than 30 years.  As you can imagine, too many ‘experts’ can make an already difficult decision even cloudier.

When deciding between your options in a real estate transaction, it may be your best bet to rely on the real estate professional that you are working with.  Given that you should already trust the individual, you can rely on their expertise, as they do this day in and day out.  They have most likely been in the same situation before with other clients and can provide you with your options so that you can make a well informed decision.  And remember, it is always okay to ask for statistics or hard facts to back up the advice your real estate professional is sharing with you.

Just because you live in a home, doesn’t make you an expert in the field!  So while friends make great people to hang out and have dinner with, they may not be the best source for expert advice when dealing with real estate.  Would you take your friend’s advice over your doctor’s or attorney’s suggestions?  Buying or selling a home is a highly complicated process and the help of an expert in the field is as important as ever.

Chris Kamali is a TriValley Real Estate Agent, helping clients buy and sell homes in Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Livermore.

 The site pulls in MLS listings and is simply a portal for clients to do their own home searches.  (I think my site is better!)  Some listings receive “O-HotValue” designations, indicating “property that may be a better relative value in this market.”  Survey says - Wrong!  I saw some of these O-Hot Values and they were simply just lowered price homes in bad condition or locations.

 So while I will continue shopping for bed sheets, towels and electronic gadgets on Overstock.com, I don’t think they can successfully sell me a home online at a discount price!