the.irvine
Active member
I am looking to buy a house in Irvine/OC. Need an agent who is good negotiator, quick to respond and knowledgeable.
Need an Agent:
- Thread starter the.irvine
- Start date
callmehere
Member
usctrojancpa is really well known on talkirvine, he seems like a legit guy to message
eddieuclabruin
Member
I used usctrojancpa. Highly-recommended.
usctrojancpa
Well-known member
Thanks for the kind words everyone. I follow a very simple motto...representing my clients the same way that I would represent myself as if I was buying or selling their home.
OP, feel free to reach out to me anytime if I can be of assistance.
OP, feel free to reach out to me anytime if I can be of assistance.
id_rather_be_racing
New member
USCTrojanCPA also represented me when we bought our home. Can't recommend him enough, very straightforward, no bs.
OCRebateQueen
New member
eyephone said:
Max rebate is not always the best. It's more important that your agent is a licensed REALTOR, who doesn't have a restricted license or any violations against them and that they know the contract backwards and forth so that YOU are protected. Experienced, fierce negotiator, full-time REALTOR who cares about you and knows the laws can keep you safe!
OCRebateQueen said:eyephone said:
Max rebate is not always the best. It's more important that your agent is a licensed REALTOR, who doesn't have a restricted license or any violations against them and that they know the contract backwards and forth so that YOU are protected. Experienced, fierce negotiator, full-time REALTOR who cares about you and knows the laws can keep you safe!
Welcome to TI! 30 minutes after registering and 3 strong posts. This should be fun.
OCRebateQueen
New member
Prototype said:OCRebateQueen said:eyephone said:
Max rebate is not always the best. It's more important that your agent is a licensed REALTOR, who doesn't have a restricted license or any violations against them and that they know the contract backwards and forth so that YOU are protected. Experienced, fierce negotiator, full-time REALTOR who cares about you and knows the laws can keep you safe!
Welcome to TI! 30 minutes after registering and 3 strong posts. This should be fun.
Haha! Been here for years - just a new login.
sgip
Well-known member
I've worked with many, many realtors over the past 3 decades. Sometimes I feel like that old guy standing on a rocky outcrop, looking over at a city brimming with for sale and open house signs and muttering "You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy... we (meaning you, dear reader) must be cautious" as you search for a good Agent. Here goes:
I can't recommend but a handful of full time agents as their experience is often a handicap, not a benefit to the customer. They really don't know much more than they think they do, saying "rebates are illegal" or "brokers just don't do that thing..." (Pro Tip 1: These agents will say "real-a-tur" not "real-tor" when describing what they do for a living...) Yes, they may be "full time" but they are part time in their knowledge of what customers are asking for right now: Authentic no-sales pitch discussions of how best to buy, no requirements in signing binding buyer contracts, and no zero hour flip flopping on rebates.
I can't recommend but a few "long time" realtors because their skills stretch back to using the paper version of the MLS and a Thomas Guide to find homes for sale. (Pro-Tip 2: they're the ones with AOL.com e-mail addresses....) They take few photos of their customer's $3,000,000 property with their flip phones, then get Jr. to post 8 or 9 pictures of a tired kitchen layout and finally think they're offering s true realty sales and service plan. Blegh.
I can recommend Realtors who are vetted on customer service, for example as Redfin Agents are. "Oh... but they're not "real agents...their just novices...etc" Yes, like every company you have strong and weak Agents. Ever heard of the 80/20 rule? Redfin has some pretty sharp folks there however the mere fact that all Redfin Agents are paid based on how happy a customer says the experience was is a remarkable way to do business IMHO. The same thing can be said about Agents who are vetted here on TI. USCTrojanman has a clear and, documentable pool of customers who have been well treated, professionally represented, and yes.... enjoy rebates commensurate with the nature of the transaction. Take a look at some of USC's listings posted on Redfin, then compare the level of data to many other of the "full time" Agents listings. It's one way to tell which Realtor takes this business seriously, and which real-a-tur is just in it to shoot all the fish swimming in the barrel as Irvine real estate has become in many ways. (Pro tip 3: Don't be that fish)
I'd recommend when selecting a Realtor to find an Agent who will say "No" to you - as in "No, that listing price isn't going to work" or "No, the seller is not going to repaint the house just for you so don't put that in your offer". I know many a buyer and seller who have said they wish they had listened to the Agent who told them "no" about a deal they later regretted closing because their agent said yes to their every whim, leading them down a pathway that wasn't in their better interests. "No" is sometimes the best advice you'll ever get during your home buying process. Very, very few 100% full time realtors, wholly dependent upon every commission dollar to put bread on their table, is not often going to use that two letter word. USCTrojanman may not be full time, but that makes zero difference in what one might experience compared to most full time agents.
After whittling your prospective Agent list down, know that a good Realtor knows how to structure a successful offer, not haphazardly throw numbers together and then think they will "talk the seller into a better price" - as if there is some mystical Jedi mind tricks only real-a-turs know how to wield.
Please.
You'd be surprised how often solid, well crafted offers are accepted the first go round. Yes, there are protracted negotiations on some deals, but others flow through simple and quick because they are well priced with minimal distractions. These accepted offers aren't set up for MAX ROI, but arrive at a place where both sides come out as winners. As well, look for an Agent who handles both buyers and sellers - not sellers only, as some do. I can't tell you how many "multi-million dollar listing agents" scoff about buyers with honest to God venom in their voice. "Buyers, pffft..They aren't worth the time..." has been said to me many times over the years by more than well known Agent out there. Most high profile real-a-turs are listing only folks. You'll be shuffled off to an associate agent to help with your buying needs. Don't accept being treated as a second hand rag as many have found themselves viewed as by the "1 percent of all realtors nationwide" or "area expert!!!" type agents.
Personal recommendations, past documentable sales history, strong customer reviews, experiential knowledge of the market, and financial insight that isn't only Real Estate focused should be part of your vetting process. If a rebate comes with it, all the better. The right person will eventually come along. You'll know who to work with not by how flashy their marketing is, or how well dressed they are, but by their personal balance and professional insight within the real estate advice they give.
Good luck with your decision!
My .02c
I can't recommend but a handful of full time agents as their experience is often a handicap, not a benefit to the customer. They really don't know much more than they think they do, saying "rebates are illegal" or "brokers just don't do that thing..." (Pro Tip 1: These agents will say "real-a-tur" not "real-tor" when describing what they do for a living...) Yes, they may be "full time" but they are part time in their knowledge of what customers are asking for right now: Authentic no-sales pitch discussions of how best to buy, no requirements in signing binding buyer contracts, and no zero hour flip flopping on rebates.
I can't recommend but a few "long time" realtors because their skills stretch back to using the paper version of the MLS and a Thomas Guide to find homes for sale. (Pro-Tip 2: they're the ones with AOL.com e-mail addresses....) They take few photos of their customer's $3,000,000 property with their flip phones, then get Jr. to post 8 or 9 pictures of a tired kitchen layout and finally think they're offering s true realty sales and service plan. Blegh.
I can recommend Realtors who are vetted on customer service, for example as Redfin Agents are. "Oh... but they're not "real agents...their just novices...etc" Yes, like every company you have strong and weak Agents. Ever heard of the 80/20 rule? Redfin has some pretty sharp folks there however the mere fact that all Redfin Agents are paid based on how happy a customer says the experience was is a remarkable way to do business IMHO. The same thing can be said about Agents who are vetted here on TI. USCTrojanman has a clear and, documentable pool of customers who have been well treated, professionally represented, and yes.... enjoy rebates commensurate with the nature of the transaction. Take a look at some of USC's listings posted on Redfin, then compare the level of data to many other of the "full time" Agents listings. It's one way to tell which Realtor takes this business seriously, and which real-a-tur is just in it to shoot all the fish swimming in the barrel as Irvine real estate has become in many ways. (Pro tip 3: Don't be that fish)
I'd recommend when selecting a Realtor to find an Agent who will say "No" to you - as in "No, that listing price isn't going to work" or "No, the seller is not going to repaint the house just for you so don't put that in your offer". I know many a buyer and seller who have said they wish they had listened to the Agent who told them "no" about a deal they later regretted closing because their agent said yes to their every whim, leading them down a pathway that wasn't in their better interests. "No" is sometimes the best advice you'll ever get during your home buying process. Very, very few 100% full time realtors, wholly dependent upon every commission dollar to put bread on their table, is not often going to use that two letter word. USCTrojanman may not be full time, but that makes zero difference in what one might experience compared to most full time agents.
After whittling your prospective Agent list down, know that a good Realtor knows how to structure a successful offer, not haphazardly throw numbers together and then think they will "talk the seller into a better price" - as if there is some mystical Jedi mind tricks only real-a-turs know how to wield.
Please.
You'd be surprised how often solid, well crafted offers are accepted the first go round. Yes, there are protracted negotiations on some deals, but others flow through simple and quick because they are well priced with minimal distractions. These accepted offers aren't set up for MAX ROI, but arrive at a place where both sides come out as winners. As well, look for an Agent who handles both buyers and sellers - not sellers only, as some do. I can't tell you how many "multi-million dollar listing agents" scoff about buyers with honest to God venom in their voice. "Buyers, pffft..They aren't worth the time..." has been said to me many times over the years by more than well known Agent out there. Most high profile real-a-turs are listing only folks. You'll be shuffled off to an associate agent to help with your buying needs. Don't accept being treated as a second hand rag as many have found themselves viewed as by the "1 percent of all realtors nationwide" or "area expert!!!" type agents.
Personal recommendations, past documentable sales history, strong customer reviews, experiential knowledge of the market, and financial insight that isn't only Real Estate focused should be part of your vetting process. If a rebate comes with it, all the better. The right person will eventually come along. You'll know who to work with not by how flashy their marketing is, or how well dressed they are, but by their personal balance and professional insight within the real estate advice they give.
Good luck with your decision!
My .02c
OCRebateQueen
New member
Soylent Green Is People -
You offer wise words spoken like a man of experience! I enjoyed that post! I love what you said about an Agent who says, ?no?.
It?s so crucial for a REAL-TOR to have enough knowledge, real life experience and confidence to guide the client - even if the client is not a first time buyer or seller. The market changes, trends change and laws change! It?s critical that the client have trust and confidence in their Agent?s abilities. Definitely say no to things that aren?t in the client?s best interests. Negotiate hard for the client as well as yourself! I was taught by an 85 year old woman whose words never left me - ?Fight hard, give it all you got, always do the right thing and treat every single transaction as if it was your own property that you?re buying or selling?. It?s common sense but that seems to be rare these days.
It?s ok to walk away, to tell prospects that you?re not the right Agent for them - whether it be a Seller insisting on listing their house too high or Buyers who aren?t agreeable to the education and guidance provided. You can have all the stats and awards and drive the fancy cars but the real proof is what your clients say about YOU when you?re not around - what do they tell their friends, and do they see you as a valuable source of information even years down the road? Did you represent them and their property in the best possible way? Did you everything you said you would and go above and beyond their expectations?
There?s so many layers to this industry and unfortunately we have all seen the grit and grime from those who think this is an easy way to make money on the side or have ?freedom?. Too many are in this industry for all the wrong reasons. They come and go. Then, you meet a handful of really good people. Humble. Honest. Hardworking. Ethical. I?m with you, if I wasn?t a Realtor, I may be able to recommend five or six solid Realtors to my friends and family. It should always be about HELPING people. It?s what I love and I?m proud of the reputation I have built with the help of my loyal clients. I don?t personally know USCTrojanman but I know his name and he does have a fine reputation and his listings are beautiful and done right!
Btw, I?m not actually a newbie here - Posting gives me so much anxiety. LOL I have seen how cruel people behind a keyboard can be. I?ve just been quietly observing this board off and on since 2016 and completely forgot my user name and password so I started over. Doh! I will message the Moderator and see if I can recover my older account
You offer wise words spoken like a man of experience! I enjoyed that post! I love what you said about an Agent who says, ?no?.
It?s so crucial for a REAL-TOR to have enough knowledge, real life experience and confidence to guide the client - even if the client is not a first time buyer or seller. The market changes, trends change and laws change! It?s critical that the client have trust and confidence in their Agent?s abilities. Definitely say no to things that aren?t in the client?s best interests. Negotiate hard for the client as well as yourself! I was taught by an 85 year old woman whose words never left me - ?Fight hard, give it all you got, always do the right thing and treat every single transaction as if it was your own property that you?re buying or selling?. It?s common sense but that seems to be rare these days.
It?s ok to walk away, to tell prospects that you?re not the right Agent for them - whether it be a Seller insisting on listing their house too high or Buyers who aren?t agreeable to the education and guidance provided. You can have all the stats and awards and drive the fancy cars but the real proof is what your clients say about YOU when you?re not around - what do they tell their friends, and do they see you as a valuable source of information even years down the road? Did you represent them and their property in the best possible way? Did you everything you said you would and go above and beyond their expectations?
There?s so many layers to this industry and unfortunately we have all seen the grit and grime from those who think this is an easy way to make money on the side or have ?freedom?. Too many are in this industry for all the wrong reasons. They come and go. Then, you meet a handful of really good people. Humble. Honest. Hardworking. Ethical. I?m with you, if I wasn?t a Realtor, I may be able to recommend five or six solid Realtors to my friends and family. It should always be about HELPING people. It?s what I love and I?m proud of the reputation I have built with the help of my loyal clients. I don?t personally know USCTrojanman but I know his name and he does have a fine reputation and his listings are beautiful and done right!
Btw, I?m not actually a newbie here - Posting gives me so much anxiety. LOL I have seen how cruel people behind a keyboard can be. I?ve just been quietly observing this board off and on since 2016 and completely forgot my user name and password so I started over. Doh! I will message the Moderator and see if I can recover my older account