Here’s What Being a ‘Full-Service’ Real Estate Agent Means at Golden Real Estate
We pride ourselves on going "the extra mile" for sellers -- and for buyers! Also, two new listings will be open this Saturday, 11am to 1pm.
To me — and to my broker associates at Golden Real Estate — being a “full-service” real estate agent means providing more than the minimum “uniform duties” set forth by the Colorado Real Estate Commission listed below (with my minor edits in brackets):
“Broker shall exercise reasonable skill and care for seller, including, but not limited to the following:
> Performing the terms of any written or oral agreement with seller;
> Presenting all offers to and from seller in a timely manner, regardless of whether the property is subject to a contract for sale;
> Disclosing to seller adverse material facts [about the buyer] actually known by broker;
> Advising seller to obtain expert advice as to material matters about which broker knows but the specifics of which are beyond the expertise of broker;
> Accounting in a timely manner for all money and property received; and
> Keeping seller fully informed [throughout] the transaction.”
Those are the minimum duties, whether the agent is functioning as a transaction broker or an agent. A transaction broker, which we don’t recommend, is a broker who owes no fidelity to either party, but merely facilitates the transaction.
If the broker is an agent, he or she has the following additional duties:
> “Promoting the interests of seller with the utmost good faith, loyalty and fidelity [above those of the buyer or him/herself].
> Seeking a price and terms that are acceptable to seller [or better].
> Counseling seller as to any material benefits or risks of a transaction that are actually known by broker.”
Those are the minimum duties spelled out by the Real Estate Commission for an agent representing a seller. The Commission spells out similar duties for a broker representing a buyer, tenant or landlord.
At Golden Real Estate, my broker associates and I are always seeking to “go the extra mile” when serving our clients. For sellers, that includes such things as providing a free professional staging consultation before the home goes on the market, so that it shows its best.
Sometimes the staging consultant recommends moving furniture, and, of course, we help there. And sometimes repairs are required, for which we provide our in-house handyman at the client-only rate of $30 per hour. He can handle light plumbing and light electrical tasks such as replacing a vanity, toilet or chandelier, and he’s also good at doing drywall repair, including texturing.
A seller who is downsizing may need to sell or give away unwanted furniture. In many instances, we’ve been able to get the winning buyer in a bidding war to agree to purchase all the unwanted furniture — even if they didn’t want it. If there’s enough good quality furniture, we have an estate sales vendor who will run a sale and then donate the unsold furniture (using his own truck) to the International Rescue Committee, which donates that furniture to refugees from other countries for whom the IRC has found housing.
When Rita and I sold our Golden home in 2022, we had a bidding war, and the buyer paid us $10,000 for the furniture we couldn’t use in our 55+ apartment, and, best of all, I wrote into the contract that we could leave anything else that we didn’t want. That included our garage and basement full of tools and “stuff”!
Before our box truck died, we provided it to buyers and sellers for only the cost of gas used, and we still maintain a storage shed full of previously used moving boxes of all sizes, plus packing paper and bubble wrap, which we provide free to clients. Many times I have delivered those boxes and packing materials to a client so they don’t have to pick them up. (We’re running low on small moving boxes, if you have some you’d like to give us.)
Sometimes a seller will need to move furniture or other belongings into a self-storage unit so their home shows better, and we have been able a few times to procure a free first month’s rent, with no contract beyond that.
Our personal “cleaning lady” isn’t taking on new accounts but is always available for pre-listing or move-out cleanings. I recently learned that she pulls out the range and refrigerator and cleans behind them, which I wouldn’t have expected, but which makes sense, because the buyer might choose to replace one of those appliances and would be disgusted at how dirty it was there! Thanks, Cybil!
Golden Real Estate is still one of the only brokerages which shoots a narrated video tour for every listing and posts it on YouTube, with links to the MLS, which in turns gets it onto the public and broker websites which get their listings from the MLS. We’ve been doing that for two decades, yet other brokers have been slow to realize the value of video tours. It has resulted in some out-of-state buyers (including one last fall) going under contract without seeing the listing in person until they fly in for the home inspection.
We also create custom websites for each listing, as you may have noticed.
We use a vendor owned by Zillow for shooting the magazine-quality still photos and Matterport interactive tours for our listings. That vendor also creates accurate floor plans of every listing and shoots a drone video and aerial photos. Because the vendor is owned by Zillow, our listings garner priority display on that website.
I also pay for agent membership on Homes.com, the nation’s number one listing website, which garners each of our listings many times more views than otherwise. Here’s a recent statistical report sent to one of my sellers:
I love rolling up my own sleeves and getting dirty for my clients. Once I used a logging chain and my truck to pull juniper bushes out of the front yard of a listing to improve its curb appeal.
I look forward to the opportunity to surprise and delight you with what being a “full service” Realtor means to us!
Just Listed: East Denver Ranch on East 6th Avenue Parkway
Denver has only a few iconic “parkways” -- divided streets with wide, tree-lined medians used by joggers and dog walkers. The homes along these parkways, including this one at 6235 E. 6th Avenue Parkway, enjoy large, grassy lots and unique architecture of high quality. It was just listed by us for $975,000. You’ll like this home as is — and also as it could be with some updating and landscaping. It has beautifully maintained hardwood floors and an updated kitchen. The driveway is on Leyden Street, away from the traffic of 6th Avenue Parkway. Watch the narrated video tour below and find more photos at www.GRElistings.com, then come to Saturday’s open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., or call Chuck Brown at 303-885-7855 to request a private showing.
Just Listed: 2-Bedroom Bungalow in ‘The Glens’
This well-maintained bungalow at 1950 Glen Shiel Drive, Lakewood, is in one of my favorite neighborhood, The Glens, which is south of 20th Avenue between Garland and Dudley Streets in Lakewood. We just listed it for $560,000. All of the winding streets in this rural-feeling subdivision have “Glen” in their name. There are no sidewalks and no through traffic. If you haven't seen The Glens yet, you'll love it! This 1948 home, set back behind large shrubs and graced with mature trees, further enhances the quiet and privacy of the neighborhood. Watch the narrated video walk-through below and find more photos at www.GRElistings.com, then come to Saturday’s open house or call Kathy Jonke at 303-990-7428 to request a private showing.
