“The power in negotiations is knowing how to walk away, the skill is never having to.”
I will help you unlock the doors of the most distinctive and desirable homes in Marin County, whether you are looking for a luxury view estate on the water or a simple cottage tucked among redwoods. With years of experience catering to savvy and sophisticated buyers, I have become a specialist in making Marin County real estate dreams come true.
When working with buyers, I bring commitment and expertise to the job and unlimited enthusiasm in helping my clients discover the beauty and nuances of my beloved Marin County. I take tremendous care in understanding my buyers’ needs and carefully matching them to the right Marin community and neighborhood first and then the right property using both my professional expertise and personal knowledge of a neighborhood’s homes, schools and character.
What makes me different and how it benefits you:
- An educated buyer knows what to expect and makes better decisions. I believe the most important part of my job is to educate my clients about 1. the buying process, 2. securing the best financing and locking the lowest interest rate 3. current market trends, 4. the escrow process, 5. the contracts they sign. This allows for a smoother transaction as my clients know what to expect every step of the way. Click on the link for Buyers’ Resources, including videos with expert real tips for buyers on shopping for your home, your loan, understand your closing costs, HUD-1 Statement and Good Faith Estimate.
- An educated agent is better equipped to help you navigate today’s challenging real estate market: I am among the less than 2% of all real estate agents who pursue additional high level education to keep up with best industry practices, learn about more advanced real estate concepts and technology in order to best serve their clients. I have earned my GRI designation, my e-PRO designation, and my ASP Designation. I am one of the few CDPE‘s (Certified Distressed Property Experts) in Marin. I keep apprised of market trends in Marin County and the Bay Area and write my own, detailed market analysis every month.
- Having a seasoned negotiator represent you is essential to get the best possible price and terms. Negotiating is an art form that can only be mastered and fine tuned through studying, practice and experience. I have had a lot of training with the most respected coaches in the industry to sharpen my negotiating skills. I am a skilled, seasoned negotiator based on many years of experience and tough negotiations.
- A win-win approach gets the best results: My goal is always to get the best possible price for my clients through a win-win, non confrontational approach.
- Having an agent representing only the buyer is always in the buyer’s best interest: It is my policy never to represent both the buyer and the seller on the same transaction. It is only by doing so that conflicts of interest are avoided and the best possible price and terms can be negotiated for the buyer.
Eight Questions to Ask your Realtor before you hire him/her:
Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in your lifetime. When deciding who is going to help you with such a crucial transaction, it’s important to assess the skills and background of the individual that’s going to guide you through the process. Here are a few questions to ask your REALTOR when making a decision:
1. Is real estate your full-time job?
2. What designations do you hold? Designations such as GRI, CRS, SRES and ePRO which require that agents take additional, specialized real estate training, are held only by a small fraction of real estate practitioners.
3. Will you represent me exclusively, or will you represent both the buyer and the seller in the transaction? While it is legal in California for agents to represent both parties in a transaction, it’s important to understand where the practitioner’s obligations lie. Your REALTOR® should explain his or her agency relationship to you and describe the rights of each party.
4. Can you recommend service providers who can help me obtain a mortgage, make home repairs, and help with other things I need done? Because REALTORS® are immersed in the industry, they’re wonderful resources as you seek lenders, home improvement companies, and other home service providers. Practitioners should generally recommend more than one provider and let you know if they have any special relationship with or receive compensation from any of the providers.
5. What type of support and supervision does your brokerage office provide to you? Having resources such as in-house support staff, access to a real estate attorney, and assistance with technology can help an agent sell your home.
6. What’s your business philosophy? While there’s no right answer to this question, the response will help you assess what’s important to the agent and determine how closely the agent’s goals and business emphasis mesh with your own.
7. How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction? How frequently? Again, this is not a question with a correct answer, but how you judge the response will reflect your own desires. Do you want updates twice a week or do you prefer not to be bothered unless there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone, text messaging, e-mail, or a personal visit?
8. Could you please give me the names and contact information of your three most recent clients? Ask recent clients if they would work with this REALTOR® again. Find out whether they were pleased with the communication style, follow-up, and work ethic of the REALTOR®. If contact information for previous clients is not available, be sure to check endorsements and reviews on websites such as LinkedIn.
My vision is to build a network of strong, lifelong relationships with my clients, starting with you…
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Thinking of buying a Marin home?
Sign for free email alerts or call me to start the search process.
Call my cell at 415.505.4789
or email me at Sylvie@YourPieceOfMarin.com
