The Secret Sauce of Real Estate Revealed by RealSatisfied Experts Club

Each real estate agent has a unique magic recipe for attracting and retaining customers. Many factors, like personality, come into play when working with a client that are subtle and cannot be replicated anywhere else. 

However, we wanted to learn more about our Experts and allow them to share their knowledge with a vast audience of other real estate agents. 

That’s why we asked them the following questions:

What’s the secret sauce that sets you apart from other agents? What makes your services unique?

Below you can read and get inspired by their answers!

The physical time and labor that I devote to my clients. I am definitely more hands-on than most agents. Whatever my clients need to get ready to present the best product possible, I try to provide that service to get the house photo ready. After years of REO sales, I know that the clean, neat, decluttered, staged home sells faster and for more money. I want that for my clients, even if that means weeding the yard, hauling in bark, planting flowers, and cleaning a kitchen or a bathroom. I make it happen or actually do it even when the client doesn't have the money to pay for that service.

Michelle Romero, 20+ years of experience

Honesty and integrity. Personalize each need of individual clients.

Armanda (Armie) Iglesias, 15 - 20 years

First of all, the chemistry has to be right with my client. Second, my honesty. Third, my communication skills. Fourth, my negotiation skills. And fifth, my knowledge after so many years in the business and the trust I create with other agents whom I work with.

David Knudson, 20+ years

For my Seller clients, I present them with what I do for all of my Seller clients, such as:
1.) Being upfront & transparent about everything that is involved in the sale of the transaction.
2.) Creating a spreadsheet that lays out every single charge that is incurred for the sale of their home and what they'll be NETTING at certain offer prices that come in, they'll know right away how much they're going to approximately walk away with, and if they're not comfortable with the NET proceeds, they'll just counter back at another price (which they'll know right away what they're going to NET around). Sellers love this because they don't need to guess and are unsure how much they will get, but they know it upfront from the start and reference this whenever any offers come through to use it as their negotiating tool.
3.) Preparing them for what to expect if certain situations arise, such as appraisal issues, home inspection negotiations, etc.
4.) Running an in-depth comparable market analysis research of the SOLD & Pending Homes within a small radius to come up with a fair market price to put their property onto the market for sale, what marketing strategies our company uses to help maximize their property's outreach to the general public, etc. Also, show Sellers the ACTIVE homes that are still sitting on the market that have NOT sold yet, so Sellers need to be informed and aware of what prices are still NOT selling currently and try to AVOID putting the same price onto the market of similar condition type of homes.
5.) Saving my Seller clients some money in having to hire a professional photographer to take photos of their homes as I take numerous angles of their property and then sort out the ones that are good and spend some extra time to edit each and every one of the photos to make them nicer before publishing the listing onto the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
6.) I also represent many Buyers, so I usually let Sellers know what they can do to better present their homes before putting them on the market. It is like the old saying, "The best defense is a good offense"!

‍‍For my Buyer clients, I present them with what I do for all of my Buyer clients & what they're going to expect throughout the entire home buying process from beginning to end, such as:
‍1.) Just being me, myself, and I, and do my very best to help each and every Buyer to navigate the biggest purchase of their lifetime!
2.) Connecting buyers with knowledgeable and reputable mortgage lenders and loan officers to get them pre-approved for financing that fits their purchasing budget.
3.) Explain to them briefly what they'll be encountering throughout the process, such as multiple bidding situations, what weak versus strong terms of offers are, how deposit amount plays a role as part of the offer, how to compete against CASH offers in a deal to make their offer stand out from the crowd, & many other creative ways & strategies to try to go in with their best & highest terms in hoping for a winning offer during this very competitive market that we are in right now.
4.) Giving buyers realistic expectations rather than sugarcoating the facts. This way clients are fully informed and can make a better educated decision.
5.) Help put Buyers in touch with several good and reputable home inspection companies for their inspection needs and help them negotiate repairs, reduce the purchase price, or get some Seller's credit.

There is much other behind-the-scenes work involved in representing Buyers and Sellers, and the above are just some of the items that I assist my past, current, and repeating clients with.

Phong D. Lam, 15-20 years

Understanding my client's needs is of the utmost importance to me. I have clients in various stages of life. Some are buying because their family is growing, and they need to buy a move-up or first-time home. Some are going towards retirement and downsizing. At every stage of their lives, their home-buying or selling experience will be different. I try to listen to their needs and help guide my clients through one of the most important purchases a person can make.

Lauren Espey, 10 - 15 years

I take the time to personally reach out to other agents about properties I have on the market.

Sara Jung Umstead, 3-4 years

I constantly stay in touch with all the components of buying or selling a home. Making sure that my clients have all their questions answered even before they’ve even asked them. The majority of my clients have said that I’m constantly in communication with them and always checking up to see if they have any questions or if they’re doing OK. The majority of my clients feel that I treat them like family. I am professional, very personable, and I want to make sure that all my clients are comfortable with everything, from buying to closing or from listing to closing.

Over the last eight years, six of my clients enjoyed working with me so much that they, too, became real estate agents, and I’m happy to say that they are all very successful.

Leslie Woods-Hulse, 20+ years

I always try my best to be attentive to my clients so that I may tailor a plan to address their unique goals.

Michelle Smith, 20+ years

I focus on my client's goal and make sure I have a full understanding of their expectations.
I communicate with them every step of the way, regardless of whether the good or bad news is the message I must share with them.

Debbie Figueroa, 20+ years

I believe my background in marketing helps me stay grounded in listening to my clients to identify their needs. I am organized and I believe in daily or weekly summary updates which help keep us all on track!

Debbie Covington, 1-2 years

My secret sauce is strategically pricing homes just under market value to generate maximum interest and foot traffic. By doing this, I create a competitive environment where multiple buyers may be inclined to bid, often leading to a higher final sale price. I provide sellers with clear data showing that overpricing can significantly reduce showings and offers, helping them understand the importance of a well-considered pricing strategy. This data-driven approach, combined with market expertise, ensures that my clients are positioned for success from the start.

My unique services approach:
1. Customized Marketing Plans: I tailor marketing strategies to each property, ensuring maximum visibility and appeal to the right buyers. This might include professional photography, YouTube videos, social media campaigns, and targeted ads.
2. Commitment to Communication: I prioritize keeping my clients informed and involved, with regular updates and availability to answer questions and provide guidance whenever needed.

Mitha Sun, 1-2 years

I listen, I return calls, and I try to keep a level head even when things are going crazy.

Terri Jackson, 15-20 years

I think my secret sauce is my compassion and willingness to assist anyone that I can, no matter their circumstances. Not everyone is thrilled about moving, and therefore, special emotional energy and lots of patience are required to get them from point A to point B. If someone is excited, then you also have to temper that with all of the things that need to be accomplished while going through the process and not get too discouraged if things don't go as hoped. There's a lot of emotional intelligence required to assist clients through the home buying and selling processes successfully!

Susan Spahr, 8-10 years

Under “Coming Soon”, I build up interesting comments that attract buyers' interest. Also, the “Coming Soon” in our MLS gives the buyers’ agent and buyers themselves a chance to do their comps and get their ducks in a row as I underprice them by 3-5% to attract multiple offers.

Eric Polansky, 20+ years

I represent my client’s best interests as if they were my family members. I represent their interests and give them the pros and cons of each situation, as well as all their options. I do my very best for each person. This leads to extremely high client satisfaction and many referrals. Over 90 percent of my clients are referrals from past clients or repeat clients coming back to me.

Colleen Wilcox, 15-20 years

I have been in customer service all of my life and pride myself in being a great listener. Understanding my clients' wants, needs, and desires is the foundation for providing the best service possible.

Houston (Lloyd) Taylor, 15-20 years

Many years in the business, I've been in this since 1993, licensed in 1996. I have experience and that matters in today's world. I treat each transaction as if it were my own. I believe strongly in "do unto others as you want done to yourself" ;-) Having a heart of compassion first and not looking at the paycheck goes a long way. Most of my business is past clients and referrals.

Lori Swearingen, 20+ years

I don't sell a damn thing. I help people buy the thing they want.

Will Anderson, 3-4 years

Thank you to all the Experts who decided to share their knowledge and the secret sauce to their customer service. We wish you many successes and many happy clients!