WHAT TO EXPECT
Here at Geek Realty, we believe that through the use of technology we can help our customers get the best deal possible and at the same time save them thousands in commissions. Everything we do is evaluated to make sure there is a valid business reason for doing it. It all boils down to making business decisions based on measurable costs and quantifiable results. We don't do something just because everyone else is!
One of our most important cost saving techniques is our "Status Update" pages. When you become a customer you will be given a user id and a password. Then, every time there is some action related to you, we will log it on your personal status update page. You will have access to this page 24x7 365 days per year. Of course, if you have any questions or concerns, you can still call or email. This automated contact allows us to save time and money and keep our commissions low.
Internet searches. The number one destination on the internet for real estate is Realtor.com. We purchase "Featured Home" listings and "Showcase" our listings on Realtor.com. Try searching for "Plant City, FL" on Realtor.com and there is a high likelihood that one of our listings will show up as a Featured Home. Then there are the major search engines. Google is the number one search engine, so we concentrate a lot of effort to place high in their results. Go to Google and search for PLANT CITY FL REAL ESTATE (or PLANT CITY FLORIDA REAL ESTATE or PLANT CITY REAL ESTATE). We should show up there on the first page. We spend a lot of time optimizing our pages for the search engines. Having people find us first on the internet helps us keep costs down while achieving the goals of helping our customers get the best deal on their sale or purchase, and saving them money on commissions.
We are constantly trying new things. One thing we use that most others don't is Talking House. This is a small radio transmitter we install in your home that lets potential buyers hear about your home on their car radio 24 hours a day. Some technologies sound like a great idea when they are being "pitched" to us, but they turn out to be real duds in practice. Talking House is not a dud, it works! Another technology that has been talked about like it is the best thing since sliced bread is podcasting. Being the geeks that we are, this sounded like a good idea. But our research is showing that the costs and labor involved may not be justifiable from a business perspective. Time will tell. As a side note here, many in our industry will adopt a technology or an advertising medium just because everyone else is doing it. Or they think that is what their customers want. We think our customers want the best deal at the lowest possible commission, so every decision we make is made with this in mind.
If you are a buyer, expect us to "pre-qualify" you before we spend time searching for and showing properties. Expect us to ask you to sign a buyer's agreement with us. Expect us to ask you to drive by properties you inquire about before we take you to see the inside. Don't expect to be chauffeured around in a Hummer or limousine. Believe it or not, there are agents that do this. No wonder they have to charge more! All of these actions help us to keep our costs down and to work with buyers who are willing and able to purchase. Expect us to save you thousands of dollars, click the "Buyer" tab above for details.
If you are a seller, expect us to be honest with you about your listing price, the condition of your home and other factors that sometimes makes a home difficult to sell. Expect us to ask that you communicate with us via email for non-emergency questions and responses. Expect to get much of the feedback you receive from us via your personal "Status Update" page. Expect us to expect you to keep your home in "show condition" and make it easily accessible. Most likely, this will involve the use of an electronic lockbox. Expect us to save you thousands of dollars, click the "Seller" tab above for details.
Don't expect a fancy office in a high traffic location with lots of cushy leather chairs, real wood boardroom tables, snacks, champagne, etc... All of these things cost lots of money and in all of my years in real estate, I have only taken clients to my real estate office twice. Once was for a closing on a property and the other was to look up information on some additional properties. Every other closing I have been involved with has been at the title companies office's. And now with the technology we use, we can get information on our laptop's without ever having to go to the office. If State Law did not require me to maintain an office, I probably would not even have one to save our customers even more money.
Geek Realty helps it's customers buy and sell real estate in the Plant City, FL area and the surrounding areas including Tampa, Lakeland, Hillsborough County, Polk County, Brandon, Lithia, Valrico, Apollo Beach, Thonotosassa and Seffner. We offer rebates or refunds to buyers of real estate as long as they use us as their agent and we offer discounted commissions to sellers if we are the listing agent or broker. We use high tech or technology to cut costs so we can realize a savings and pass this savings on to our clients.