RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

BUYERS

WHY USE A TOUCHSTONE RESIDENTIAL REALTY AGENT?

The real estate industry knows why.  The insurance industry knows why.  The attorneys know why.  It is just too easy to get a real estate license – the bar of qualification is simply too low.  Minimal education is required to take the State and Federal exams to become a licensed real estate agent.  Everybody in the business knows that, and many of them complain about – but nobody has done anything significant about it – until now.

During the real estate boom in 2005 and into early 2006, the number of licensed real estate agents that are members of the Tucson Association of Realtors® (TAR) swelled to more than 6,600.  Why?  Because of lot of people believe that this business is an easy way to make a lot of quick money.  Nothing could be further from the truth of course, there is nothing easy or quick about it.  And amazingly, most real estate companies are only too happy to bring all of these new licensees onboard and see if they can hang on in a very tough business.  They go out into the world, find a client – often a relative or friend - and start writing legal contracts for buying and selling property worth hundreds of thousands of dollars with little or no supervision.  They are almost never in a formal mentoring program, much less any kind of structured apprentice program.  The sad truth is many of those people will be looking for another job very soon.  They are going to find out for themselves that they really don’t have the education or skills to make it.  In the meantime, they will be facilitating a few real estate transactions just as if they actually had the knowledge and experience they should have.  Who loses?  Everybody – except of course the attorneys who will be cleaning up the messes made.  Who wins?  The real estate companies that have collected their fees and taken their share of the commissions earned.

Well, Touchstone Residential Realty has finally done something about it!  We’ve raised the bar of qualification for our agents.  All Touchstone Residential Realty agents must be Associate Brokers licensed by the state of Arizona - this means they have a minimum of 3 years experience (much more in many cases), additional intensive training (an additional 90 hours classroom + a 3 hour broker clinic), and have passed yet another State and Federal licensing exam.  What does this mean to you?  Aside from the distinction of going the extra mile to re-license as a broker rather than a “salesperson” it means you get more experienced advice from someone who has demonstrated their familiarity with the practice of real estate.

According to TAR, as of April 18, 2006, there were about 1,217 licensed Brokers in Tucson that are members of TAR (that’s approximately 19% of all TAR agents).  Of that group 766 TAR members are Designated Brokers – which means they have their own brokerage or work for someone who owns the brokerage.  So, that leaves about 450 licensees that are known as Associate Brokers who have affiliated with the various real estate companies in the area.  That means that relatively few agents are even eligible to affiliate with Touchstone Residential Realty.

But we don’t stop there.  We think it is important to have even more education.  All of our Associate Brokers have been awarded at least one of the following professional designations:

ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative  -  Fewer than 10% of REALTORS^® nationwide (only about 6% in Tucson) hold this distinction awarded by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council.  To attain this designation, a real estate practitioner must complete an extensive classroom training program on buyer agency practices and procedures, pass a written examination and submit evidence of practical experience as a buyer’s representative.

ALC – Accredited Land Consultant – There are only 36 designees in Tucson!  Clients who want to purchase, sell or exchange land, know they need to rely on a leader in land brokerage when making the most valuable decision of all – who will be their land broker.  Truly, a unique and challenging specialty requiring specific knowledge and skill.

CCIM – Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) is a recognized expert in the disciplines of commercial and investment real estate.  It is such a specialized area of practice that there are only 34 (less than ½%) in Tucson.  Nationwide only about 6% hold this qualification.

CRS - Certified Residential Specialist  -  The CRS designation, awarded by the Council of Residential Specialists, is the highest professional designation awarded to REALTORS^® in the residential sales field.  Less than 4% of all REALTORS^® hold the CRS designation -  about half that many, 2% are CRS in Tucson.

GRI - Graduate Realtor Institute  -  The REALTOR^® Institute only awards this distinction after 90 hours of classroom instruction and examination, covering subjects such as contract law, professional standards, sales and marketing, finance, risk reduction, and service.  Only about 22% of REALTORS^® nationwide have been awarded the GRI designation.  Again, only about half as many, or 11% are GRIs in Tucson.

All of these awards for education and experience come from affiliated institutes, societies and councils of the National Association of REALTORS^®.

Some of our agents have even been awarded the distinction of being named, Master of Real Estate (MRE) by the Arizona Association of REALTORS^®.  Only 29 REALTORS^® (less than 1%) in Tucson have this honor - that’s a pretty select group.

Just a bunch of alphabet soup?  Absolutely not!  This level of qualification really sets our agents apart from the crowd.  It means that every one of our agents has demonstrated their knowledge, experience, and competency.  Their familiarity with the real estate transaction, paperwork and the marketplace is second to none.  They have all made a commitment to be the best that they can be.  They understand and respect your desire for competency and timely communications throughout every step involved with buying your home.

As a home buyer, you can be assured that our Associate Brokers subscribe to the strict REALTOR^® Code of Ethics, have access to and familiarity with the latest technology and are distinguished specialists in helping clients make the best purchase they can.

Why not work with the best of the best?  Call one of our exceptionally qualified experts for your next real estate transaction.