Likeability is a subjective term.  Who’s likeable? How important is it? Most of all, how relevant is your Realtor or agent’s likeability to your home buying or selling success in Silicon Valley?

At times I’ve been shocked at what I’ve heard from consumers and industry insiders alike:

“You don’t need your clients to like you.  You need them to respect you.” (As if these were diametrically opposed.) – a real estate trainer & coach

“I didn’t want to hire someone I’d like or who’d be my best friend. I wanted to hire a tough negotiator.” (Again, seeing these as juxtaposed.) – a real estate home seller

Why do some people think that being a good negotiator means that you have to be rough around the edges, a difficult person with whom to get along?  Strong negotiating doesn’t mean being a jerk, or even being aloof.

In many cases, it’s the exact opposite.

Many of the top agents in the San Jose, Los Gatos and Saratoga markets are indeed quite gracious and pleasant.  They are smart and they are driven.  Most are genuinely nice people, while a few have learned that good manners is part of good business.  Yes, there are a few successful ones who don’t match this description – but they are the exception, not the rule.   And in truth, their lack of likeability is inhibiting at least some of their success. If you hire one of them, it may impact yours, too.

An arrogant, rude and nasty agent may find that his or her colleagues are less excited to show his/her listings.  Or that they will be less enthusiastic if he/she brings an offer in on one of theirs.  Conversely, if that agent is well liked (and, of course, well respected) by the real estate community, it’s far more likely that agents will want to have him or her on the other side of a transaction. (more…)

There are a number of things which are related to the purchase and sale of real estate which require the professional guidance of those other than your Realtor, namely a legal or tax professional.  This sometimes surprises consumers.  Once I was discussing one of these areas with a prospective client and she felt quite frustrated and exclaimed, “you know the answer, you just won’t tell me!”  That was many years ago, but I’ve never forgotten it.  Many Silicon Valley home buyers and home sellers assume that they’ll never need to talk to a tax or legal professional, and if advised to do so, may balk.

So let’s talk about it.

In other states, such as New York, attorneys are very involved in real estate transactions. Here in California, though, that’s not the case most of the time.  We call on CPAs and lawyers when there’s a problem or a question which is beyond the real estate licensee’s scope.  I’ll provide a few examples.

Holding Title: Probably the most frequent question I get that I’m not allowed (or qualified) to answer is about how people should hold title when buying a home.  The purchase agreements we use (both CAR and PRDS) lay it out best and puts it in bold so that consumers don’t miss it:

“THE MANNER OF TAKING TITLE MAY HAVE SIGNIFICANT LEGAL AND TAX CONSEQUENCES. CONSULT AN APPROPRIATE PROFESSIONAL.” (newest revision of the CAR contract, April 2010)

Most title companies have a nifty little chart that summarizes the pros and cons of the various ways in which people can hold title.  But neither the escrow officer nor the real estate agent can tell you what’s best for you.  We know what’s most common, but that doesn’t mean it is best for you and your particular set of circumstances.  So talk to a CPA or talk to a lawyer (or both) if you do your research and are at all unsure of what to choose! (Old Republic Title has a summary of the most common ways to hold title in a downloadable pdf file, which you can access via this link.)
(more…)