Looking for advice to find a good realtor

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sleepy5136 said:
Wow, the amount of ppl backing up USC is incredible. No one knows the situation besides USC and the irvinenative1995 agent. Before defending ppl, we should at least know both sides of the story instead of immediately making assumptions that irvinenative1995 agent was wrong.
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Here are the facts of what happened with my 13 Clover listing...

- All offers were not going to be reviewed by the Seller until the evening of Sunday, Jan 17th (stated clearly in the listing)
- Listing was put On Hold Status on the morning of Monday, Jan 18th so the Seller could decide how they wanted to proceed
- The morning of Tuesday, Jan 19th the Seller instructed me to withdraw the for sale listing and list the home for $3,500/month in rent
- I let every agent that submitted an offer that the property was no longer for sale as the Seller decided to keep it as a rental property
- Home was rented for $3,500/mo on Friday, Jan 22nd

Believe me, I know how frustrating it is for buyers it is out there now because I'm having a hard time getting homes for my buyers.
 
DBtoOC said:
irvinenative1995 said:
We actually had a horrible experience with USC.. He wasn't representing us.. But we went to tour a property that he had posted on this site (he was representing seller), we put in an offer over asking, and never received a response and then promptly found the property for rent the same day. I understand that people can change their minds about selling, but our agent called multiple times to see what the status was on our offer and was completely ghosted. She said she had never had such an unprofessional experience with another agent!
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You lost me at "He wasn't representing us". 

Maybe your agent dropped the ball and put the blame on the convenient "I was ghosted" excuse.  Is that possible?
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A review is a review. It seems like a real review from a person that made an actual offer.

 
Apparently this thread became about USC - so I will chime in.

But first, to answer OPs question. What to look for in a good realtor? Well, first question is what I want from a realtor? Market knowledge, someone who sings my praise at each opportunity, max rebate, a kickass negotiator, intellectual professional that is above and beyond many high school graduated realtors..? and so on.

Once you know what you want, then find a candidate that meets the criteria.

It is like what is a good bank to bank with? Well, what do you want..online experience that is kickass, full service branch service, one simple acct or a complete financial service, private banking? etc etc...

Now, coming to USC and his work. Here is a hypothetical terrible experience with seller's agent. You made above asking offer, an agent ghosts you and then comes back and says seller is tough, multiple offers, you offer 20k more and I can take it back to seller, you do that and  he still ghosts you...finally accepts the offer...but plays hard to make any adjustments on terms...basically makes the whole buying experience a nightmare.

What happened with USC's listing is totally believable and nothing unprofessional about it. USC has represnted me as a buyer, a seller, and a landlord. Can't complain a bit. I think that USC inherently understands that his clients that are dealing a $1M+ txn are smart individuals already and he respects that and not give you bs, coolaid, or false info just to make the buck.
 
This seems kinda like how I had a terrible experience dining at Morton's. Never ate there, but I looked really hard at the menu. When the Host didn't seat me within 5 minutes, I left. Would not visit AGAIN! Booo!

There are always communication difficulties in all transactions. You have to make allowances for them. One door closed for you. Hopefully another opened elsewhere.

The multiple kudo's here, backed by sales statistics that put USCT in the top percentage of all Orange County Realtor, not just Irvine, speaks volumes. 
 
irvinenative1995 said:
We actually had a horrible experience with USC.. He wasn't representing us.. But we went to tour a property that he had posted on this site (he was representing seller), we put in an offer over asking, and never received a response and then promptly found the property for rent the same day. I understand that people can change their minds about selling, but our agent called multiple times to see what the status was on our offer and was completely ghosted. She said she had never had such an unprofessional experience with another agent!
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Ah...there are always two sides of the story. I did see in the listing thread that on Tuesday 1/19 you posted a question about the status - all you said was "When do you think you are going to be reviewing offers with your seller"? That same day the seller made a decision and notified USC who then notified all agents. Two days later USC responded in the thread with the answer.

Certainly there was some miscommunication somewhere. But pointing fingers at any one individual without having ALL the facts is useless. Face it, shit happens and in these hectic times many are running around with their heads cut off. Did USC mess up - maybe, maybe not. He probably could provide evidence but the it's not his job to protect your agent. Did your agent mess up - maybe, maybe not. Although stating that "she had never had such an unprofessional experience with another agent!" seems a bit odd because I have experienced many unprofessional agents and not returning a call rapidly doesn't even rank in the Top 100! Maybe covering her ass - then again maybe not. Funny I would have thought that your agent would have shown you an unanswered text or e-mail.

"We actually had a horrible experience with USC.. He wasn't representing us." As stated before, your agent represents you, not USC. Horrible could be used to describe not getting the desired outcome and the times we are in but not your professional relationship with USC, because you didn't have one. But you have your right to post your review. It's up to the readers to draw their own conclusion.

For the original posters. Just do your due diligence in researching any potential agent. Sounds stupid, but go with your gut. Different strokes for different folks. Many here recommended USC (me included) but you might or might not have a bond with him. The advantage is that you can read up about him on this forum from people who have actual first hand knowledge. And of course, any agent might not feel comfortable with you.
 
irvinenative1995 said:
We actually had a horrible experience with USC.. He wasn't representing us.. But we went to tour a property that he had posted on this site (he was representing seller), we put in an offer over asking, and never received a response and then promptly found the property for rent the same day. I understand that people can change their minds about selling, but our agent called multiple times to see what the status was on our offer and was completely ghosted. She said she had never had such an unprofessional experience with another agent!
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Ah...there are always two sides of the story. I did see in the listing thread that on Tuesday 1/19 you posted a question about the status - all you said was "When do you think you are going to be reviewing offers with your seller"? That same day the seller made a decision and notified USC who then notified all agents. Two days later USC responded in the thread with the answer.

Certainly there was some miscommunication somewhere. But pointing fingers at any one individual without having ALL the facts is useless. Face it, shit happens and in these hectic times many are running around with their heads cut off. Did USC mess up - maybe, maybe not. He probably could provide evidence but the it's not his job to protect your agent. Did your agent mess up - maybe, maybe not. Although stating that "she had never had such an unprofessional experience with another agent!" seems a bit odd because I have experienced many unprofessional agents and not returning a call rapidly doesn't even rank in the Top 100! Maybe covering her ass - then again maybe not. Funny I would have thought that your agent would have shown you an unanswered text or e-mail.

"We actually had a horrible experience with USC.. He wasn't representing us." As stated before, your agent represents you, not USC. Horrible could be used to describe not getting the desired outcome and the times we are in but not your professional relationship with USC, because you didn't have one. But you have your right to post your review although one can question it's validity. It's up to the readers to draw their own conclusion.

For the original posters. Just do your due diligence in researching any potential agent. Sounds stupid, but go with your gut. Different strokes for different folks. Many here recommended USC (me included) but you might or might not have a bond with him. The advantage is that you can read up about him on this forum from people who have actual first hand knowledge. And of course, any agent might not feel comfortable with you.
 
Just so as not to look biased (or actually to look biased)... my realtor is IrvineRealtor (his TI name) and his name is Scott Gunther.

I would suggest calling multiple realtors before deciding as although every realtor is good in their own right, some may just not click with you.

But I have a long term relationship with Scott and after less than ideal experiences with other realtors before him, I have stuck with him as he has had patience with me (I can't even count how many homes he has toured with me).

This is not to say anything bad about USC... his track record is proven here and the information he posts on TI is invaluable.

So I recommend you contact both and decide from there (throw in a couple of relatives you know who are realtors too for an even better comparison :) ).

I also think there is one or two other regular posting members here who are realtors but don't really push their services (a good thing).
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Just so as not to look biased (or actually to look biased)... my realtor is IrvineRealtor (his TI name) and his name is Scott Gunther.

I would suggest calling multiple realtors before deciding as although every realtor is good in their own right, some may just not click with you.

But I have a long term relationship with Scott and after less than ideal experiences with other realtors before him, I have stuck with him as he has had patience with me (I can't even count how many homes he has toured with me).

This is not to say anything bad about USC... his track record is proven here and the information he posts on TI is invaluable.

So I recommend you contact both and decide from there (throw in a couple of relatives you know who are realtors too for an even better comparison :) ).

I also think there is one or two other regular posting members here who are realtors but don't really push their services (a good thing).
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I've also worked with IrvineRealtor/Scott and had a great experience. I would highly recommend him as well.
 
This thread got a little sidetracked so let's get it back on focus.  Here are the things that I would look for in an agent if I was looking to buy...

- Knowledgable about the market and understand all the various dynamics that drive prices in every tracts
- Puts the client's interest in front of making a commission (which could be from things from recommending a lower commission home because it's a better fit for the client and may have better resale in the future to providing a commission rebate on the buyside to help with closing costs)
- Provides the clients a lot of different options so the client can make a more informed decision
- Have the needed service provider resources such as lenders, inspectors, handymen, title/escrow contacts, and other service providers
- Listen, listen, listen to what the client is looking for and ask questions along the way
- Be efficient with the client's time by not showing them homes that aren't a good fit for them
- Someone who is creative about structuring a strong offer for their buyers without putting the buyer and their deposit at risk while making the offer look as strong as possible to a seller and listing agent (hint - it's more than just price)
- A person with who you have a good business relationship and can bounce ideas/thoughts/suggestions off of
- Be patient and take as long as needed to find the right home at the right price for the buyer
- Have good working relationships with other realtors in the market which can provide pocket listing opportunities or give the agent an inside track on what price it might take to buy a home
- Someone flexible who can be hands-on with a first-time buyer to allowing the client to drive the search if they know exactly what they are looking for and everything in between 
- Focuses on the long-term by building relationships with their clients instead of just focusing how much they can earn on the transaction at hand (repeat and referral business are GOLD)
- Ultimately someone who represents you the same way they would represent themselves in a real estate transaction

The reality is that no one agent is a good fit for all clients similar to how they say that no one shoe fits all feet. There are 3 kinds of agents out there...1) good agents who are a pleasure to work with and 2) serviceable agents who can get the job done if nothing complicated pops up and 3) those agents that are a pain in the booty dealing with. The majority of agents fall into the 2nd category unfortunately. That being said, each agent brings different things to the table and along with their own unique personality so it's best to find someone who you connect with well and who'll you will enjoy working with on your home search. 
 
I've been a long-time lurker here for the past 5 years. I just wanted to chime in that I found Martin (and Soylent) through this invaluable website to purchase/sell properties in Irvine. I have found both to be very very good at what they do and highly recommend them.

Regarding realtor reviews - I have used Martin (USCTrojanCPA) for multiple transactions for homes ranging from a few hundred thousand to a few million dollars. He constantly stayed in communications with me (at all hours of the night).

I think when it comes to realtors, it's important to find one that gets back to you quickly and is able to navigate/resolve issues as they pop up. Also, the realtor should know Irvine well.

Before using Martin, we used a fancy schmancy realtor... who turned out to be terrible. Just, the worst. We still got our deal done but it really left a bad taste in my mouth. (Basically, don't go for those realtors sending out a bunch of glossy junkmail every week to your door/mailbox.)

I realized then that I wanted someone trustworthy, knowledgable, and communicative. Martin delivered.
 
Wow.. ok. Came back to this website to a LOT of back and forth.. First and foremost, there is absolutely no reason for our agent to lie to us when she said "this is the most unprofessional experience I have ever had. This guy never called back to let me know what happened despite calling and texting multiple times. Not the same day, not the next day, not a week later. He could have sent a simple text saying seller changed his mind."

I honestly just found it odd to find out the owner changed his mind about selling when we found the 'for rent' posting on our own. Nobody is perfect at all times. It is very human to prioritize other things or forget to call people back/move on to more important things. I am not perfect at my own job and sometimes do not act in the most professional manner 100% of the time. That's ok.

This was just a post meant to share MY experience with the agent, who (unlike what he says on this thread) never responded to our offer when we asked for a response either way multiple times. We were really excited about the property, so we were waiting by the phone. Suits us for getting emotionally invested in the home hunting process...

What I will say is that there is no reason to be untruthful at this point USC.. take it on the chin, but don't tell us our agent is lying to us. What for?? Admit that you were not as professional as you could have been (whatever the reason) and move on.
 
eyephone said:
DBtoOC said:
irvinenative1995 said:
We actually had a horrible experience with USC.. He wasn't representing us.. But we went to tour a property that he had posted on this site (he was representing seller), we put in an offer over asking, and never received a response and then promptly found the property for rent the same day. I understand that people can change their minds about selling, but our agent called multiple times to see what the status was on our offer and was completely ghosted. She said she had never had such an unprofessional experience with another agent!
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You lost me at "He wasn't representing us". 

Maybe your agent dropped the ball and put the blame on the convenient "I was ghosted" excuse.  Is that possible?
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A review is a review. It seems like a real review from a person that made an actual offer.
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Thank you for this. The review wasn't intended to be a personal attack. It was simply a review about my experience with USC. It obviously is out of character for the agent to not be super professional and pleasant to work with, but that was my experience. And no, we have not found a home yet.
 
irvinenative1995 said:
Wow.. ok. Came back to this website to a LOT of back and forth.. First and foremost, there is absolutely no reason for our agent to lie to us when she said "this is the most unprofessional experience I have ever had. This guy never called back to let me know what happened despite calling and texting multiple times. Not the same day, not the next day, not a week later. He could have sent a simple text saying seller changed his mind."

I honestly just found it odd to find out the owner changed his mind about selling when we found the 'for rent' posting on our own. Nobody is perfect at all times. It is very human to prioritize other things or forget to call people back/move on to more important things. I am not perfect at my own job and sometimes do not act in the most professional manner 100% of the time. That's ok.

This was just a post meant to share MY experience with the agent, who (unlike what he says on this thread) never responded to our offer when we asked for a response either way multiple times. We were really excited about the property, so we were waiting by the phone. Suits us for getting emotionally invested in the home hunting process...

What I will say is that there is no reason to be untruthful at this point USC.. take it on the chin, but don't tell us our agent is lying to us. What for?? Admit that you were not as professional as you could have been (whatever the reason) and move on.
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I know exactly which offer your agent submitted and when (your offer was submitted early).  Did your agent not share with you that all offers were not going to be reviewed until the evening of the 17th?  It was clearly stated in the private remarks of the listing (as well as on Redfin with the offer deadline of the 17th at 6pm) and I also told all the agents that submitted offers (we had multiple offers on the home) that offers would not be reviewed or responded to until after the 17th.  I don't ghost agents or ignore their calls/texts because that happens to me all the time and I find it annoying and unprofessional so I don't do that to other agents. It's important for me to maintain good working relationships with other agents because you never know when our paths will cross in the future (some of my good relationships have given me inside information that helped my clients get homes that had multiple offers). I know this is a very frustrating time for buyers because it's been almost impossible to get my buyers a home in the past few months but I hope you find the right home in the very near future. Good luck on your search.
 
Also wanted to pitch in my 2 cents... I have used Martin multiple times to help w real estate transactions ranging from buying, selling, leasing, recommendations for contractors, lenders, etc and he has always been willing to help and answer any questions I might have even if the transaction itself didn't even involve him.  I would recommend anyone with real estate questions reach out to him as he a wealth of knowledge.
 
zubs said:
you need negative reviews because if it were all positive, it would look fake.
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Good point because if all my reviews are all positive it'll look fishy. I'll try to keep the negative reviews to other agents and people that I'm not representing.  :P
 
irvinenative1995 said:
What I will say is that there is no reason to be untruthful at this point USC.. take it on the chin, but don't tell us our agent is lying to us. What for?? Admit that you were not as professional as you could have been (whatever the reason) and move on.
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Bruh, seriously?  I ain't got a dog in this fight.  Not a client or a potential client of USC.  Just a casual 3rd party observer, and you're out of line.  You are 100% right, he has NO reason to lie to you.  Your agent?

Maybe cut and run and put USC in your corner.  Someone who gets that much repeat business, even across this tiny fishbowl of a web forum, must be doing something right.
 
irvinenative1995 said:
First and foremost, there is absolutely no reason for our agent to lie to us when she said "this is the most unprofessional experience I have ever had. This guy never called back to let me know what happened despite calling and texting multiple times. Not the same day, not the next day, not a week later. He could have sent a simple text saying seller changed his mind."
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the most unprofessional experience I have ever had...  man... I can tell you firsthand that there are far worse things agents go through dealing with other agents than that
 
2008 was when I first started reading USC posts.  So for 13 years we've been on this public board interacting.
In the early years he would post about accounting and real estate to help people understand the numbers.

The real estate thing was a side hustle that became full time as more and more readers used his services.


I don't think he planned to be a realtor, but that is how it happened.
He's actually a certified accountant from USC.


And that is your super hero origins story martin....
 
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