Doing business with friends

The skill set in real estate involves learning how to acquire clients, sell to customers, market property, master each step of the real estate process to troubleshoot problems before they occur and properly serve clients and customers, communicate clearly, and, for those that are relational agents and want to serve their clients after they close, learning to serve clients after the closing. I think that takes at least a couple of years and about 20 transactions. The challenge is that with so much competition among agents, the average agent does 4 to 6 transactions in a year, which means that many lack the skill set that they need to succeed and serve their family, friends, etc. well.

I can hear the chorus now… Don’t bother with the agent, do it yourself. Fine, but the odds are good that there will be an agent involved in the transaction. If you are not an experienced buyer and seller of real estate, trying to go it alone when there is an experienced agent, buyer or seller on the other side may not be the best idea.

These questions are for inexperienced buyers and sellers who have used or would consider using agents:

For you, does friendship or family trump experience when choosing an agent?

Would you do business with a new agent or seek out a more experienced agent?
Some people have a policy of not doing business with friends or family members. Do you? Why?

For those that have used their friends or family members as agents, how did that work out for you?

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