I’ve done several articles before on what to look for in a Realtor®. The concentration was mostly on the agent, but everyone should also look at what the office behind that agent and the state association offers to buyers and sellers of real estate.

Not all real estate companies are alike, and without getting deeply into the inner workings of each particular group, I will try to give you an overview to highlight the general activities you can expect from the office behind the face. Obviously, this may be slightly biased to our organization.

For the seller of property, the foremost interest is how is my home going to be offered, that is, how professional, how many sales people, and how is it going to be “marketed.” Your agent is the salesman for the property, but in some companies (like ours) the other agents in the company will also be sales people for the property. In companies which have different models, the agent may be the only salesperson, unless they have a team of people working with them. That means, if your agent isn’t available, your property may not be shown.

But a bigger picture item is the marketing of the property. Marketing can be everything from placing a link on Craig’s List, to an ad in the local papers, company websites, virtual or video tours, floorplans, property websites, and possibly social network marketing. It can also include open houses, newspaper feature articles, features on radio shows or even television ads. Plus, the office may have a good internal network to promote the property to buyers working with other agents in the company.

Your goal is to clearly understand what the company is doing for you and not just your agent. The “behind the scenes” marketing and technology departments are important in today’s world. Having a vision as to what should be done for a particular property is important. And understand, not every property needs the same marketing approach. This is clearly the case of one size doesn’t fit all.

For the buyers out there, the company will offer other added benefits. Not only will your agent have a better understanding of the properties in the inventory of the company (most offices have their agents tour each property), but she will have the materials developed by the company to help understand the neighborhoods. In our case, since we have five strategically located offices, others in the company will help that agent understand the areas outside their community.

One other area to investigate. Does the company have a relocation department? If you are moving out of the state, you may need help in the new area finding a good agent to help you find the property in that new town. It is always better to have someone who knows something about you through a referral instead of walking into a new market with no help.

Finally, the local Realtor board, in RI it is the Rhode Island Association of Realtors (RIAR), is the oversight body to help self regulate the industry. Each state has their own group and these groups also have local boards to focus down on a subsection of the state. Rhode Island has five local boards. The state organization is a wealth of information and has a useful site at riliving.com. One other thing, the boards provide to the Realtor valuable educational resources on communication, legal information, technology, market statistics and ethical business practices. This keeps them informed on how to do business and what is going on in the market place. In the end, that will help you understand the real estate market better.

There’s a Yiddish word, “kvell,” which means beaming with pride and enjoyment, it is generally used when referring to the accomplishments of one’s children. Since I consider everyone at RPL to be my extended family, I am fortunate to have many kvelling moments, last week at the Squantum Club I witnessed  just such an event. My good friend Libby Isaacson, who is my chief operating officer of Residential Properties, was installed as the incoming President of the Greater Providence Board of Realtors at a luncheon held at the club. Her term as President begins in November and will last for a year. In her acceptance speech, she asked the members to become more involved in the activities of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) through their email “Calls to Action,” to take advantage of the upcoming training classes, and to get involved in committees. Knowing Libby, I am sure she will raise the participation level.

But this also got me to thinking why I have her in the operations position. Here’s a little background on her.

Libby is the current Chair of the Professional Standards and Ethics committee. She also Chairs the Professional Standards and Ethics committee of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors where she is also a director on the board. She serves on the Marker Committee of the Providence Preservation Society. She is a commissioner for the city of Providence on the Downcity Design Review Committee. She is President emeritus of the Board of Directors of the Sophia Academy, a small middle school in Providence for girls from low-income Providence families.

When I started this business I focused on getting the best people in the real estate business to join me. That is still what we do.

Some people believe they can sell their own home, keep more of the profit, and have the best salesperson possible. However, selling a home is really a full time job.

Market conditions change and a good Realtor will see that before the average seller. Buyers also look for convenient times to see the property. Realtors get physically and mentally invested in the process to research, market and finally sell the property. You can check out the Realtor.com piece on the services that Realtors offer.

Once you find a Realtor with whom you are comfortable, stick with him. When you call the real estate office, ask for that Realtor by name, otherwise you will be given the agent on duty. Your Realtor will keep you up to date on appropriate new listings based on your criteria.

Residential Properties has the ability to set up instant new listing notifications through our web site. If you see an ad in the paper or you see a house on the internet, call your Realtor. Your agent has access to all listings through the use of extensive databases and can tell you more about it. If you are driving by a home that displays the company sign of your Realtor or any other Real Estate Company, again call your Realtor. An appointment can be made to see the property. There usually is cooperation between companies on the showing of the home. Carry your Realtor’s business card with you. If you go into Open Houses on your own, it will help to identify the fact that you are working with someone to find that perfect home. Other agents will honor other Realtor’s clients if they are aware upfront.

If you see a home for sale by owner, let your Realtor know. He or she can make contact with the owner. A professional approach will generally produce better results, and you will be represented in negotiations. Moreover, your Realtor can provide a wide range of services from educating you about neighborhoods, communities, property values, tax and zoning information, assisting with contract negotiations, arranging showings of properties of interest, providing the necessary forms, attending inspections, and preparing and attending the closing.

Next time, we’ll review the assistance you can get from the company and the national organization.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released the data for Pending Home Sales for the month of July 2009. This forward looking indicator is analyzed by Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the NAR, in the following video post.