The first question any seller or buyer should ask themselves is whether they want to work with a “goliath” firm or a boutique firm. At Bryant Real Estate, we firmly believe in the “client relationship first” boutique approach over the “small fish in a big sea” approach of the goliath firms. Here are the reasons why you should go small when making your next real estate decision:
Big Used to Matter but it Doesn’t Anymore
In the past, real estate firms used to brag about how many deals they were a part of as if their size was a competitive advantage; however, this was occurring through a bit of deceit. Large firms used to get listings for homes to sell and “sit on them”. This means the firm would refrain from publishing your home as being available to the open market while they shopped for buyers internally to the company giving them an advantage to be a part of more transitions. Fortunately for the public regulation has stepped up to prevent this practice.
The Internet Sells Your Home – Not the Large Firm
The internet is the source of purchasing/selling a home in over 90% of transactions with the advent of technology and the accessibility of listings to the general public. In these transactions the photos and property descriptions are the most highly weighted elements with over 80% deeming them very useful.
The real estate firm does not sell your home. It doesn’t matter who lists your home as long as a Realtor lists your property, it will be added to the MLS and as a result show up on every major search engine, “goliath” firm, and boutique firm alike; in addition, print ads no longer matter. When it comes to who is your agent – the most important criteria is relationship. Will you be one of many the firm and that agent serves, or will you be part of the select few of a boutique firm?
A Boutique Firm Gives 1:1 Attention
At a large firm you might sign up with one agent, and be tossed around to various “greenhorns” or “newbies”. This is a classic “bait and switch” tactic. The goliath’s market this as you have a “team” behind you, but in reality it means that one agent is great at closing deals (getting you to sign a contract) and has a team of less experienced agents to do the grunt work. This maximizes the value for large real estate firms. At Bryant – we are focused on clients first. You will work with one of our experienced and highly selected agents to assist you in closing the best transaction for you.
These are some of the many reasons for why you should choose a boutique firm over one of our larger competitors. What we find is once you have worked with a team of our caliber you will see the value of our approach. Don’t be sold by the flashy commercials that try to get you to list with the big firms – think about what you value, what is important to you, and who can best serve your needs. Contact Bryant Real Estate today to get started.