Should I Hire a Real Estate Team or Individual Agent?

Choosing the right real estate professional is important and whether you hire a Team or an Individual agent you will want to interview a few Realtors and compare their services to be sure you work with the professional who is the best fit for you and will give you the results you want.  You should pay attention to what your potential agents tell you and stay clear of the "yes" agent.  These agents are the ones who are completely agreeable with you and basically tell you what you want to hear in order to get the job. Experienced professionals will advise you and tell you the facts even if they are not exactly what you want to hear.

The Differences Between Teams and Individuals
Usually a real estate team is formed by an agent who can no longer provide excellent service to all of the people that are contacting them.  This was true for me.  In order to help more people with their real estate needs, one will need to create a team of agents to help their clients.  This tells us that these teams are headed up by a Realtor that has a healthy business that is growing. 

Availability to you is very important when working with a real estate agent.  Showings, Offers and New Listings can happen any day and you will need a real estate professional who can assist you when you need it.  Working with an individual agent you may find that when your dream home is new to the market they may have other appointments and can't get you in to see it. This may cause you to lose the house or have to compete with another buyer to get the home.  The same can said for listings. You want your home shown as often as possible and if your agent is not available you may lose opportunities. 

Hiring a real estate team means that you are hiring more than one agent to assist you. Most teams have a listing specialist who handles the listing paperwork, marketing and schedules showings and open houses.  Then they will have buyer specialists. The buyer specialists will show your home and probably host the open houses and they assist the teams clients who are looking to buy a home.  Not all teams are created the same and you should inquire about how the team is structured and who will be doing which job during the transaction.

I have found with my own team that our clients are happy knowing that they have two agents working for them. We can accomplish more work in less time than an individual agent can. We are a close team. We collaborate daily on what our clients need and we update each other on all of our clients. I am the listing specialist on my team and Rick Trowbridge is the buyer specialist however, since we work so well together we each do what needs to be done to give our clients the best service possible. We do not take vacations at the same time so you always have an available agent.  Unless Rick has a previous appointment he attends my listing appointments so he can preview your home and provide input "through the buyers eyes".

Some people may prefer to only work with one agent. I understand that you may feel that you will only deal with one person and you think you will get more personalized service. I can see where you may think that and I am not about to speak badly about individual agents. I truly believe that we all hire the professionals that we "click" with. There was a time when I was green and inexperienced and people still hired me. Maybe it was my charming personality or maybe they liked my tie or maybe it was the fact that I was knowledgable or maybe they just liked me more than the other agents they met with and gave me the job.  Whatever the reason that draws you to a real estate agent or a real estate team be sure to ask about their experience and hire the person you feel will do the best job.  

Mike Gallo is Your Waterfront and Luxury Home Sales Professional in Pasco county Florida

Living on the Gulf of Mexico in Pasco county Florida has been the best decision we made. We enjoy the New Port Richey downtown area with fine dining, casual dining, waterside dining, an art gallery, Theatre and much more. The affordability of Pasco county's Gulf Coast has drawn home owners from all over the country here for years. New Port Richey and Port Richey Florida have been ranked among the most affordable cities for waterfront homes in the country.  Waterfront homes in communities like Gulf Harbors, Westport, Millers Bayou, Hudson Beach, Leisure Beach, Signal Cove and others offer a variety of home styles and market values for you to chose from. Having a long time resident like myself as your Realtor can really help you when selling or buying as I know the area very well and can market and advertise your home for sale to give you the most exposure to home buyers. 

Pasco county Florida also offers a variety of higher market homes to chose from in areas like Odessa, Trinity, Land O'Lakes and the waterfront communities in New Port Richey and Port Richey.   Selling your higher market home in our area takes a knowledgable and trained real estate agent like myself. You can count on my Florida Luxury Realty certified Luxury home training and marketing to effectively showcase your home to potential buyers. Please contact me to discuss how I can help you with your real estate needs in our local higher market areas.  My buyer specialist is informed of all of our customers homes and tours the homes prior to showing them to buyers. We feel that having a buyers specialist that is knowledgable of your home will help your potential home buyers to feel more comfortable in making an offer on your home. 

Please keep me in mind if you or someone you know is in need of a waterfront or higher market real estate professional in the western Pasco county area. We serve the Trinity, New Port Richey, Port Richey, Hudson and Land O'Lakes area of Pasco county Florida. 

2144 Seven Springs Blvd. Trinity, FL. 34655
http://mikegalloluxuryhomes.com 

Why We Love Florida and Live in New Port Richey

Loving where you live is important to ones

overall happiness and we Love Living in Florida and the cities of Port Richey and New Port Richey. Port Richey and New Port Richey are called the "Twin Cities of Florida" located along the Pithlachascote River and the Gulf of Mexico where you can enjoy boating, fishing, waterfront dining and more.  With many local parks, both city owned and state run you have a variety of choices in your outdoor activities. 

Just a few things we Love about Florida
We own more bathing suits than coats.
We Don't Shovel Snow
Our Seafood is caught and served to us the same day
Flip-Flops are acceptable shoes almost anywhere and almost year round
We have the Best Sunsets on Florida's west coast
We Don't Shovel Snow
Iced Tea is a year round beverage
Boating is a way life
We Don't Shovel Snow
We use our barbecue grills year round
It's never cold on Halloween
We Fry our Thanksgiving Turkey 
We Don't Shovel Snow

Living in the cities of Port Richey and New Port Richey Florida for over 20 years I can't think of a place I would rather be. We are located approximately 30 miles north of Tampa and St. Petersburg. We can be at Bush Gardens in about 40 minutes and Walt Disney World in about an hour and a half. Close to Tarpon Springs and Weeki Wachee Springs where the Mermaids live, there is no shortage of activities for you in the Port Richey Florida area.  I'm your local real estate professional in the Port Richey and New Port Richey Florida area and I am here to answer any of your questions.  Contact me online and I will respond within 24 hours or less. 

What is the Difference Between a Realtor(R) and a Real Estate Agent?

I want to start by stating that I have a knowledge of Florida license law regarding real estate. I am not proficient in license law in other states. In Florida a real estate license is "Active" only when it is carried under a licensed Broker. We generally refer to the license as being "Hung" with a broker as state law requires the licenses of each agent be displayed and hung up somewhere in the physical real estate office. Real estate agents who do not join the National Association of Realtors(R) and the Florida Association of Realtors(R) and their local Board of Realtors are classified as real estate licensees. They have a license and they can practice real estate. However they are not Realtors(R) and Do Not Have Access to the MLS system under their own name.  These licensees are usually "referral agents" of the Broker to whom their license is hung and are most likely part-time agents or slowing down in business in an effort to transition into retirement.

Keep in mind that most large Brokerage firms, including Florida Luxury Realty require their agents to be Realtors(R). 

What Is a Realtor(R)?

• A real estate licensee who joins the National, State and Local Board of Relators(R)
• A licensee who attends Realtor(R) Code of Ethics Training
• A licensee who takes an oath to Follow and Uphold the Realtor(R) Code of Ethics

Realtors(R) are not only held to a higher ethical standard than those who possess a license and are not Realtors(R) we are also better educated and trained. Generally the licensees local board of Realtors(R) offers classes and training that is not available to those who are not Realtors(R) we meet with city and county officials, we meet with county property appraisers, senators and other professionals in our industry so we can be better informed about our local and state laws and policies.

Only a Realtor(R) can use the Realtor(R) logo or call themselves a Realtor(R). You may see email addresses or website domain names that have a ".Realtor" exchange. This domain exchange and email can only be used by a Realtor(R) member. I am happy to display my domain and email as it shows people that I am a highly skilled professional in the real estate industry and I hold myself to a higher ethical standard of business than those who are simply license holders. 

If you are speaking with real estate agents to assist you in selling or buying a home, I urge you to ask if they are a Realtor(R) or not. You may decide that you want a better trained agent or a full time agent and you might not know that if you don't ask. 

written by Michael J. Gallo all images are property of the author. 

Social Media for Real Estate - Where Do I Start?

We have been told that social media is where it's at for online marketing of our business and as an instructor for Florida Luxury Realty I have taught my fare share of social media classes and one thing I see from the attendees is a need to know where to start. I thought I would take a few minutes to give a little advice on how to get started with your social media marketing plan.  Before you run out and start creating "business pages" off of your already existing social media sites, STOP and think about the email address that was used to create your profile. Many social media sites allow users to search for people based on their email address. If you are not using your business email address currently you may want to create a new account with your professional email. Keep the other for close friends and family. I have 2 separate accounts for Google+, FaceBook & Twitter each has a professional and a personal account. This way I don't have to edit my content and my email log in on the personal accounts is my personal one that I do not give out to anyone. Gmail accounts are free so why not have more than one? 

Engagement is a big part of your social media marketing plan. You want to engage the audience with useful information, local events, real estate news and follow local businesses in your area.  This will allow you to interact with businesses who have a large following already and you can attract new followers if you interact. Try to avoid posting too much about your own business as that may get boring for the audience. Share what others are saying that you agree with and Avoid Political and Religious Debates at All Cost. These are No-Win scenarios and not worth your time. 

Content is Key! I have a few rules I follow and they may work for you also. I don't post anything negative about my city. Being informed is one thing but is sharing bad news or negativity about the area you earn your living in smart?  Scroll On By. Post and Share things that have to dow with homes, home ownership, the community etc.. The posts that get the most attention include: Animals. Recipes. DIY Tips. Money Tips. Local events. Ask yourself before you post...Is it positive? Is it useful? Is it appropriate? Don't forget you are using this as a means to promote your business. What you wouldn't say in the company of customers or clients should not be shared on the world wide web. 

Blog. Blogging is a highly effective way to earn Search Engine Optimization so you are featured on the search results page. The first page. If you have to go page 11 of the results to see your content you may want to work on it a little more. Im not going to get into the anatomy of a blog or the way they work here. You can google "Real Estate Blogs" and read for yourself. Blogging will also allow you to create your own content and show off your  real estate expertise and local neighborhood knowledge. You can get a Free blog with Blogger (what your reading now) or Wordpress and you are off and running. Well, typing actually but you get my point. 

I know your thinking "Ok, so where do I start?" Start with Google Plus and Facebook. Create professional accounts on both and begin sharing good content that engages people and converts them to followers. Here's a tip: don't just circle or friend everyone in your office. Reach out to the community and other real estate pros across the country. Why? Referrals. Referrals are good and you should want referrals. Start your G+ and FB accounts off on the right foot. Professional photo, professional header that maybe is a photo of your area. Keep your personal and business accounts separate but it may behoove you to have your FB "business page" created off of a fairly professional personal page. "Personal Page" meaning a human being. :) The waters get muddy when you go from one page to the next and I have found I get more engagement from my Google Plus and Twitter than my FaceBook but it is needed to stay in front of your people who may prefer FB over the other social media sites.  Linked In is also great place to market yourself. It works pretty much like FB but in a more business like platform. 

Now that you are probably shaking your head and ready to give up here is the one thing you need to get started. Pick a site and create a profile. Use it daily for about 15-20 minutes and incorporate social media into your marketing plan. It will grow, and you will with it. Then you can start adding more sites to your social media platform. To be perfectly honest, if you are not making 100 phone calls a day as part of your lead generation plan and closing 4-6 homes a month...You Have Plenty of Time to Do This. 

Happy Socializing!!

Join Me on Social Media

http://facebook.com/MikeGalloFLR

http://plus.google.com/+MikeGallogulfhomesales

http://twitter.com/mikegallo22

Real Estate Agent Michael J. Gallo in New Port Richey Florida

Hiring the right real estate agent when selling 

your home is important. You want a Realtor(R) with the knowledge and experience to help you navigate the entire sales process and that is something that Michael J. Gallo of Florida Luxury Realty, Inc. does well.  You can rely on Mike to find you the answers you want and advise you along the way.

You need superior marketing and advertising of your home and Mike Gallo delivers with not only wonderful photography of your New Port Richey home but the marketing education needed to successfully advertise your home and attract quality home buyers.  You can visit Michael J. Gallo's website and read testimonials from his previous customers which are displayed right on the home page of the website.  Many people look to relocate to Florida and having a real estate agent like Mike Gallo who constantly advertises the New Port Richey and surrounding areas on Blogs and Social Media means that your home will have more exposure to potential home buyers than with any other Realtor(R) in the area.

Michael J. Gallo has experience with single family homes, villas and condominiums and knows how to effectively market each property style to the right home buyers. You can rely on Mike's knowledge and as an instructor at Florida Luxury Realty and the West Pasco Board of Realtors, Mike has proven his real estate expertise time and again. Mike is constantly striving to educate himself more and stay on top of current industry trends and this is a benefit to you since you want to hire a Realtor(R) who can do the most for you.

Michael J. Gallo attended the Bob Hogue School of Real Estate in St. Petersburg Florida in 2009 where he graduated top of the class with the second highest final exam grade.  Shortly after obtaining his real estate license Mike joined the West Pasco Board of Realtors(R) where he started work with the Education committee. In 2013 Mike became the co-chairperson for the committee and in 2014 Mike became the chairperson. Mike has remained on the education committee because of his dedication to education and helping other Realtors(R) gain more knowledge. In 2015 Mike became the orientation committee chairperson and his main role it to welcome new Realtors(R) to the West Pasco Board of Realtors and assist them in starting their careers as highly skilled and ethical real estate professionals. 

Whether you are selling or buying a home in New Port Richey, Trinity, Port Richey, Hudson or Land O'Lakes Florida, Michael J. Gallo is the Realtor(R) to contact. 

Arborwood and Cross Creek in New Port Richey Florida Market Report for May 2015

Summertree is a gated community in New Port Richey Florida which offers a public golf course, tennis courts, heated pool, spa, fitness gym, billiard room and more.  The summertree community is reserved for residents age 55 and over.  Summertree has many home styles to choose from and within the community, you will find smaller subdivisions. The Greens, The Villas, Arborwood, Cross Creek, The Fairways and Pointe West Condominiums.

Arborwood Market Report, May 2015:

Currently there are 3 Homes Active on the Sales Market. The homes square footage range from 999 - 1,600 square feet. All three homes have 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and are offered for sale from $59,900 - $100,000

4 Homes Sold in Arborwood in the month of May 2015. They ranged in size from 1,414 - 1,740 square feet. All had 2 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms and Sold between $77,000 - $94,900

Cross Creek Market Report, May 2015:

There are 8 homes Actively for Sale. They range in size from 1,470 - 1,840 square feet. All home have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and 2 have an extra half bath. The homes are Active For Sale from $139,000 - $195,000

1 Home was Pending Sale in Cross Creek for May. It was a 3 bedroom 2 bath home with 1,844 square feet and was listed for sale at $192,000. At this time we do not know what the home actually sold for. 

5 Homes Sold in Cross Creek in May 2015. All of the homes were 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom and 1 of the homes had an extra half bath. Home sizes ranged from 1,550 - 2,045 square feet and Sold for $155,000 - $197,000

Knowing your homes market value range is important for many reasons. If you would like to receive a customized market analysis of your home in Summertree, you can contact me online and request the information. 

Information Deemed Accurate but Not Guaranteed. 

Written by Michael J. Gallo

Should I Short Sale My Home in New Port Richey Florida?

The local real estate market in New Port Richey

and Trinity Florida is very active with home buyers and if you have been hanging on to your home and struggling with any financial burden or hardship, you may be able to short sale your home and move on with your life.  A short sale happens when a homeowner sells their home "short" of what they owe on the bank note.  There is a bit more paperwork involved in selling your home as a short sale but with the right real estate professional you can breath easy and have the guidance you need throughout the entire process.

How does a short sale work?  You start by contacting a Realtor(R) in New Port Richey who has experience with short sales.  You will need to explain in writing the hardship that is requiring you to ask for the short sale from the bank. Very often the sellers hardship is loss of employment or a major medical issue but it can be a military or employment relocation, divorce etc....   The sale of your home will be contingent on third party authorization of the contract price. The bank that holds the note on the home is the third party that decides whether or not to approve the sale.  To be perfectly honest, you can agree to an offer on your home and go to contract and the bank may deny the short sale either based on the sales price or your individual situation.

Experienced real estate agents who assist

 homeowners in short sales have professional short sale negotiators who handle almost all of the communication with the bank. Florida Luxury Realty has procedures in place to assist in your short sale. Your Realtor(R) will ask you to sign a third party authorization form which allows the negotiator to speak to your bank regarding your short sale.  I advise anyone thinking about selling a home as a short sale to contact your attorney and/or your tax professional regarding the repercussions of selling your home as a short sale and what steps you need to take after the sale of your home.

If you or someone you know is thinking about selling a home as a short sale in Trinity, New Port Richey or Port Richey Florida, you can contact me online and request a short sale consultation either by phone or in person. 

written by Mike Gallo

all images are ownership of mike gallo

Are Open Houses Useful when Selling Your Home in Pasco County Florida

Helping people sell and buy homes in Pasco

county Florida for years has given me a bit of insight into how useful an "Open House" is when selling your home in Pasco county.  A traditional Open House where your agent sets up snacks and opens up your home to the general public has proven to be the least successful way to advertise your home for sale. Why? Serious home buyers that are ready, willing and able to purchase a home rarely go to an Open House.  These serious home buyers are out with their real estate agent on the weekends looking at homes that fit their specific needs. That leaves your open house to the neighbors and look loo's to pop by and have a snack.

The "Broker Open House" is a bit more effective way to have an open house and advertise your home for sale. With a Broker Open House, your Realtor(R) will invite Brokers and real estate agents to come and see your home.  This is more effective for you since the real estate professionals that come to your Open House work with home buyers and we go to Broker Open Houses so we can preview potential homes for our buying customers.  The second advantage to a Broker Open House is the feedback. You will receive feedback about your home, how it shows, curb appeal, pricing etc...this feedback is from licensed real estate professionals in the area and from a variety of real estate brokerages. 

Let's look at your open house in another way. You

want to open your home up to strangers on the weekend for them to come in and look around. People who go to open houses are generally looking for decorating or remodeling ideas and they are not serious buyers. As we already said, serious buyers are out on the weekends with their Realtor(R). This opening up of your home also opens you up for crime. The visitors to your open house now know how many T.V's you have, which windows are for the master bedroom, if you have a dog, an alarm system, locked fences etc.... This is another reason I suggest only having a "Brokers Open House" mid week and around lunch time.

If you know someone who need a residential sales agent in New Port Richey, Trinity, Port Richey or Hudson Florida, you can contact me online anytime and I will respond within 24 hours. 

written by Michael J. Gallo

How do you know if your Realtor® is right for you?

Hiring a Realtor® to sell your home can seem like a daunting task.  With the information available to all of us on the Internet, you can easily find a list of Realtors® in your area by visiting Realtor.com. Here you can search licensed agents in your area, view their profiles, communities they serve and contact information.  I would recommend you hire a Realtor® for all of your real estate needs and the easiest way to be sure that your real estate agent is a Realtor®, is to find them on Realtor.com.  

A few ways you can check if your Realtor® is right for you:

- Did they answer their phone or call you back in a timely fashion?
- Did they listen to your needs and ask questions to find out your goals and requirements?
- Were they interested in your home and ask questions about any upgrades, repairs or improvements you have made?
- Did they have accurate information in their market analysis? 

Having accurate information in your market analysis is very important.  If your agent has included homes in their report that you know are outside of your community, they may not be the right person for the job.  When you interview agents to sell your home ask if they brought examples of their marketing of other homes so you can see their work.  The number one thing to keep in mind when interviewing Realtors for the job of selling your home is their marketing and negotiation skills. If they cannot provide marketing examples or if they do not market themselves well, maybe you want to consider someone else.  I suggest you interview 3 local real estate professionals for the job and choose the one you feel will do the best job for you.

If you or someone you know is interested in Selling or Buying a home in Trinity Florida or New Port Richey Florida, you can contact me here.

http://facebook.com/GulfHomeSales

http://plus.google.com/+MikeGallogulfhomesales