The 8 Realtor Questions You Should Ask When Buying
1. What is your level of experience: How long have you been licensed and are you full-time?
Jason has been licensed full-time since 2002, almost 15 years!
2. What is your level of experience: How many homes do you sell per year?
Most recently in 2016, Jason helped an average of more than 60 buyers and sellers per year make a move, while more than half of all licensed MN realtors were involved in fewer than 3 closings! That is correct – most Realtors are only involved in 2, 1 or zero closings per year!. Jason has both the time in the business and the annual sales volume to ensure that you can rely on his experience for the very best home buying experience.
3. What are your fees?
The good news is that while you will encounter fees associated with acquiring a mortgage, and fees connected to the title and transfer process, from Jason there is only a KW admin fee of $399 and zero commission expense. The seller of the home pays the buy-side commission to the buyer’s agent assisting the buyer. The KW Admin fee and the closing fees from the title company that our team recommends are among the lowest in the industry. This immediately saves our clients hundreds of dollars before we even start looking at homes.
4. Do you have mortgage, inspection and title connections I can lean on?
Yes, yes and yes! After so many years in the real estate business, we have forged some great relationships with important and needed service providers to make your new home buying experience as smooth as possible. Our trusted mortgage partner has helped buyers finance their new home purchase even longer than Jason has been helping people make a move. The ASHI certified inspector our buyer clients tend to use most has been inspecting homes longer than our mortgage referral partner has been writing loans. As mentioned above, our preferred title company is a top quality title company with some of the lowest fees in the industry. Together, we have the team in place ready to make your move as smooth, stress free, and enjoyable as possible.
5. How will you find my new home?
We will sit down and discuss your needs and wants, and then create a search using criteria to match. This will be done through the Realtor’s MLS and you’ll receive updates automatically and immediately when new homes are listed that are a match. Also, because we’re currently in a seller’s market with historically low inventory, we will also create a Zillow search and utilize other industry platforms to scour the market to find the right home for you at a price that’s right. We also spend time networking with other agents in our office to find homes before they are listed. And since Keller Williams Maple Grove is the largest office in the state of MN (ranked by sales/units and agent count), there is a good chance we might find your home before anyone else has a chance to see it.
6. Do you work alone or are you a team? If so, will I be working with you directly, or will I be handed off to someone else?
During your home buying experience you will work directly with Jason. From showing you homes to negotiating your offer. He will be there every step of the way. Jason understands that buying a home is a major decision and his goal is to take you through the home buying process and make it as efferent, stress-free and successful as possible. (Coming soon..Jim Holmen, Licensed Buyer’s Agent!)
7. How many other buyers are you currently working with?
This is a great question, and obviously the answer varies at any given time, but our typical answer on any given day might be “a few” (3 or 4). What matters is that Jason is committed to providing excellent service through quick responses to questions, thinking ahead of the curve with a proactive approach to our clients’ needs, and making sure we’re available when needed. Basically putting themselves in your shoes and thinking, “What would I expect?” and then exceeding those expectations making you feel like you’re their only client.
8. Can you provide me with referrals from past clients that have worked with you?
Jason has pages and pages of written referrals from his past clients – over 170 testimonials! The vast majority of Realtors will be able to offer just a few testimonials at most, if any at all. This is not surprising however, since 92% of Jason’s business comes from referrals and past clients. The Kraemer Team’s philosophy is this: “In order to find success in this business today, we need referral and repeat clients tomorrow. The only way to make that happen is to do everything possible to add value and do the right things for our clients today, every chance we get!”
