No tax credit? No problem! - Columbus Board of Realtors

New Class! FOCUS: Choosing the Right Search
CBR is excited about a new class that is being offered to MLS
members. The FOCUS: Choosing the Right Search class is
designed to provide a starting point for creating viable and efficient
MLS database searches.
The 1-hour class will help students translate “client-speak”, that is, the
words that the buyer says in describing where they want to live and
what type of home they want to purchase. Students can take the class
for free or pay $10 to get one hour of continuing education credit.
So many agents get started in real estate and “learn the ropes” using
the “hunt and peck” method. While many agents have successfully
made the transition from “newbie” to “seasoned professional”,
there are a lot of pitfalls and errors that could be avoided.
Does “Gahanna area” mean corporation limit or vicinity
of Gahanna?
When a client says they want to live in Gahanna, do
they mean Gahanna Corporate limits?
Do they mean any mailing address that lists Gahanna
as the city? Do they mean the general vicinity of
Gahanna, which may actually be a Columbus or New
Albany mailing address? Knowing EXACTLY what
your client wants is the key. If they say “Gahanna
area” it is very uncertain that they mean MLS Area
GA, which is the Gahanna corporate limits only. You
many need to explain the difference to them.
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This is particularly true when a new agent (and even some who aren’t
so new) goes about the tricky business of translation. Trans-lating
what the client says into a viable and efficient search is the starting
point for the entire transaction. Unfortunately, any small error in that
translation can turn into a big misunderstanding very quickly.
This is precisely the point this new class will address. The class
is a one house “jump start” into this “client-speak” translation. We
will talk about some of the tough questions and tough logic that
is required to make a client’s various requests work as a precise
database search.
We will also highlight the dangers of ambiguous and “fuzzy” criteria
as well as some data fields that pose particularly risky searches.
Students are highly encouraged to bring their “How would I search
for THIS?” questions with them. Class participation and real world
examples of “client-speak” will help all who attend.
Following are just a few of the examples we will look at during
this new class.
Criteria that is too precise or excludes too much may
accidentally remove desirable areas from the search.
For years, MLS Area MP (Minerva Park) has been
susceptible to being skipped when agents search
by MLS Areas. Homes in Delaware county but in
MLS Area 31 have also been excluded. MP and 31
Delaware County listings are “tucked away” in larger
areas that may not seem intuitive or obvious when
doing searches. This can make it harder for agents
in those areas to get showings and could lead to a
buyer asking “Why didn’t you show me that house
right there?” Polygons and other geographical boundaries
help eliminate accidental pockets of obscurity.
40 • May/June 2010 • In Contract Magazine • www.ColumbusRealtors.com