I am thrilled to be a Seattle real estate agent! I just listed one of my cute little rentals in an undisclosed location because my sister and I are getting tired of managing them for now. I was quite shocked by the very different real estate procedures....
no keybox...NO KEY BOX??? Why wouldn't they have a keybox? The response I got: "Why would we have a keybox? It only takes a minute to get anywhere here." Apparently the real estate agents in this town drive around to one of the three (I think) listing offices and pick up keys and listing sheets for showings!!!!! Whoa...Yes it is a small town, but the bigger shock?
NO MLS!!! They exchange flyers with each other!!!! How very old school? Apparently it works and I will be making a tidy little return on my investment so I am pleased.
The really funny part? They charge a percentage point more than I charge to sell Seattle real estate - I can't imagine why? Obviously with no keyboxes and no MLS, there expenses are definitely lower.... I can't fault them for making a living, though, with such a small town, there have got to be fewer sales to go around!
I know we all do things differently everywhere - I just wasn't quite prepared I guess!
Courtney Cooper ....For all your Seattle Washington Real Estate Needs! Seattle Area Real Estate Agent: Broker and Realtor serving North King & South Snohomish County. Seattle Real Estate and Seattle Suburbs! Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services: Experienced REALTOR with a background in accounting - I love my clients and work hard for them! Please call me if you are looking for a home or investment property (including short sales, preforeclosures, foreclosures, and REO properties) in Seattle (Ballard, Crown Hill, Phinney, Ravenna, Maple Leaf, Green Lake (Greenlake), Greenwood, Northgate, Lake City,University, Sand Point, Laurelhurst, Windermere, Fremont, Wallingford, Queen Anne, Westlake, Eastlake, Lake Union, Downtown, Madison Park), Seattle Suburbs Homes in Shoreline, Edmonds, Redmond, Kirkland, Brier, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, or other Seattle Suburbs!
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More info? courtney@cooperjacobs.com 206-251-5948
Courtney, it's fun to observe the quaint customs of other real estate cultures. This one sounds like the way it was here in the early 1980's!
Courtney -- that is a quirky place -- you gotta smile -- and good luck with the return on your investment!