Sometimes stats can be a bit misleading. For example, if you run the units per agent report for the Venice Board of Realtors it will list all of the 800 real estate agents with sales that are registered with our board. It will sort them in order from most sales to least.
I just ran this report for the 3rd quarter of 2018. The same person held spots #1 and #2 under two different license numbers. That person is not a REALTOR like the rest of us. They work for one of the big builders and is somehow showing up as the sales person for every new construction home sold by that company in this area. Crazy isn’t it. In spot #3 sits a Realtor with our board that sold 21 properties during that time period. However, he did not sell a single house in Venice or The West Villages. In spot #4 sits Steve Martin Smith who sold 20 units during the 3rd quarter. Some resale. Some new construction. He was a listing agent for 9 and a buyer’s agent for 11. Most importantly, 18 were in one of three Venice Zip Codes 34285, 34292 and 34293 which includes the West Villages. One was in North Port and one in Nokomis. So actually, Steve sold more units in Venice than anyone else in the Venice Area Board of Realtors. Yet he was listed as #4.
One possible takeaway from this information could be that it’s important to choose a REALTOR who actually sells in the area you are in. With roughly 320,000 people holding a Florida Real Estate license, it is highly possible that you could end up with someone who has never sold a house in your city. Buyers and sellers alike should consider the level of experience and expertise that the person they are trusting to guide them through this critical process actually has.
If you live in the Venice area, it just might be a good idea to consider looking into the REALTOR who sold more units in Venice than the other 799 agents - before you decide to use someone else.
If you live in another town, you could try asking your local Board of Realtors to help you know who the real producers are.
CAUTION: High sales does not ensure a high level of personal customer service. In my case, my wife Katrina began helping me behind the scenes three years ago which allowed me to maintain the high level of customer care that we've become known for. Earlier this year we added more team members to assist with the growth. If you do not ask the right questions when interviewing agents, you could end up quite disappointed. Our team can also assist you in locating quality agents around the country. Let us know what your needs are and we will handle the preliminary interviews for you. There is no charge to you for this service.
READ REVIEWS: Reviews.SteveMartinSmith.com
Steve Martin Smith is a Top 1% REALTOR who specializes in Residential New Construction and Resale in Sarasota County, including Venice and The West Villages.
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