Helping clients refi has been one of my greatest missions.  Everybody was seeing the great interest rates advertised and many were mis-leading.  I showed all of my clients the pros and cons of the advertisements and referred them to good local lenders.  I work with a lot of young buyers and we do the same for any large expenditure, crunch the numbers compare interest rates with other costs and send them to the best deal.  My past clients will be my future clients.

Realtor, Columbus Ga

I am with you Klaus.

The mortgage companies here are scramblilng to attract clients and the honesty in advertsing is certainly taking a hit.

We work with both new buyers and preforclosures. This month is really starting to show the true colors of many of the mortgage lenders and how willing they are to "help" homebuyers.

I was wondering if you were going to talk about filling up their car and wiping the windshield, checking oil etc. as opposed to just pumping gas.

There is a big difference in the full service gas stations as opposed to convenience stores pump yourself, wash yourself, do it yourself concepts.

Good food for thought, going the extra and unexpected mile...

Ron.. This is good advise and good example of how we should run our business.  Full service is really being aware of what our clients face and helping them work through any problems.

Often we are so busy chasing the next prospect, that we forget to service the one we have.

Yes, I am full service, full commission. I actually try to negotiate a slightly higher than normal commission rate. It doesn't always work but I tell them "I'd really like to be aggressive in marketing your lovely home and this is what I charge to do that". Some poeple want the best some do not. My lowest offer, however, is the popular rate. I never offer a discounted commission. If they ask for that, I say I do not work that way. I go on to explain that many deep discounters take a small flat fee, put your home on the MLS and then that is it. If they do not offer about 3% to the agent that brings a buyer then being in the MLS is worthless. They do not show the home, advertise the home beyond the MLS, do not help you with negotiations and do not really care if the home sells or not. They got their money on the front end. I say that they give you the impression you used a REALTOR because you paid a fee but you are really selling the home yourself. I tell them, "I only get paid when your home sells and I like to do my very best to make that happen!"

Does driving 30 miles at 11:30 at night to get a contract signed so it can be turned in before the next morning so no other offers can be presented count as full service?

Ron,

At C-21 we have a Preferred Clients Club that we enter all our clients into.  It is a program that sends them a magazine and post cards.  I keep track of my clients that have an ARM and I start to advise them about 180 days out, as the post cards go out once a quarter, I put a note in telling them to think about refinancing. I also call them and ask if they are aware they can refinance the loan to a fix rate.

I also make sure my buyers get all the forms they need for Homestead exemption on their property taxes.  As I am sure you are aware here in Texas there are many people who offer to do it for a fee.  I download the forms and mail them to all buyers, even the ones who purchased one of my listings. I telll them at closing I will be mailing the forms to them with instructions.

Does showing clients 40 homes in three days count as full service?

Full Service...besides the marketing all over the place and with about 10 different systems, going through contracts, broker opens, public opens, doing showings...we also help them with their residential exemption paperwork after one year, point out what they should do to their home when we list it (sometimes even physically help de-clutter), pick out finishes with developers, keeping them abreast of what is happening around them with community meetings and city newsletters and much much more.

It gets a bit crazy.

Who, me? I just climb under mobilehomes to make sure there are VA approved tie downs and hammer my own signs into the ground, LOL Thrash my truck in the desert looking for survey markers. If that isn't full service . . . it's insanity . . . guilty.  I like this job!  :)

Great idea, Ron. And I would think that not only contacting your buyer clients, but also shooting a note or card to the buyers of your seller clients' homes would be effective.

Another great thing to do is send clients their transaction HUD-1s at the first of the year so they don't have to dig 'em up for tax filing. They're going to call and ask you anyway -- beat 'em to the punch and they'll think you're magic.

I've actually taken it to the next level with one clients friend. When the bank said no to the refi - My wife and I are buying the house and becoming the bank at a fixed rate!

Bailed my client out of jail then testified at his trial.

Full service enough?

Feel free to use the "full service" emblem in all your advertising Lucia.

Mary, I have a compressor in the garage for anybody that has low tires.  Bail money, I haven't done that yet.  Ok Ron, how extreme is your service?

Realtor, Columbus Ga

I love that you brought this subject up. We all call ourselved full service, but do we really mean it? We got very lucky because we knew our preferred lender before we were Realtors. She is incredible and ALWAYS goes the extra distance to help get a loan through while ALWAYS willing to let a client go if she can not get them a loan in their best interest.

As far as full service goes, we've watered lawns for those listings where the seller has moved out of the area, gone to take realistic pictures for out of town buyers so they don't have to make a long drive for nothing. We honestly approach this business with the attitude to help people. The beauty of this business is that we can do that and be paid well.