Realtors® are similar to doctors; many of them are generalists.

When you have sophisticated needs, you need a specialist

Generalists are like a general practitioner, or family doctor: they help everybody, anytime.

But while a general practitioner further refers many patients to a specialist, generalist Realtors® usually don’t refer their clients to a specialist.

From a client’s perspective, it’s vitally important to clearly understand the roles of generalist Realtors® and specialist Realtors®

The role of a generalist real estate agent

Most real estate agents start out as generalists.  They work with anyone and everyone; they sell land, investment properties, rural properties, rental properties, townhomes, and all homes coming on the market.

Many generalists spend an inordinate amount of time in their vehicles; they list properties close-by or they may travel up to 30 or 40 miles to list a property.

Further, it is not unusual for a generalist to show several properties that meet the general criteria of the client – in widely distinct areas.

To identify a generalist agent, check their website.  You will see the generalist has a long list of areas and properties they serve.

The Lees hired a generalist

The Lees were transferred to the DC area for a job, and they had simple housing requirements:

• A 4 bedroom home, as close to work as possible, and within their budget

The Lees were happy working with a generalist, because their needs were simple.

But the Wus, who have more specific requirements, hoped for someone who understood their needs better than a generalist.

The Wus need a specialist Realtor®

The Wus have sophisticated housing needs

The Wus, while working with a generalist, and after seeing several very nice homes that only partially met their needs, frustrated, said to a friend:

• “Why are we wasting our time looking at homes that do not fully meet our needs?”

When a home-buyer has more sophisticated requirements, then a specialist Realtor® is the right choice.

There are geographically-specialized Realtors®

Some Realtors® specialize in geographic areas, and they’re the best at knowing their chosen area or neighborhood inside and out; they know the recently sold homes, the floor plans of all the homes in the neighborhood, the schools that serve that community, and even where the jogging trails are.

These agents are experienced when buying a home in a neighborhood that meets your needs. They will have the inside scoop of the neighborhood and that can be to your advantage in your negotiations (it could even save you money).

But when you don’t know exactly which neighborhoods will meet your needs, you will certainly be better off working with a REALTOR® who understands your unique needs. These are REALTOR®s who specialize in a demographic (i.e. in people’s needs).

There are demographically-specialized Realtors®

Other specialist Realtors® help a certain demographic, such as the ones who help seniors find a home in an active adult community.  These agents know where the active adult communities are, how much does it cost to live there, and they are also very familiar with specialized mortgage products such as reverse mortgages.

There are REALTOR®s who specialize even further:

Finding a home by school is a demographic AND a geographic specialty

At Home by School, we specialize in helping a demographic of people looking for homes by school boundary (i.e. a specific need).  Plus, we also specialize in the geography of school boundaries, which criss-cross and overlap zip codes and postal cities.

When buying a home, your most valuable asset, you’ll want to be sure that you’re seeking the right professional opinion from the start.

Here’s an example of why you need a specialist Realtor®

If you have sophisticated housing needs such as:

• A 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom detached home,
• In a school boundary with schools that:
• are highly rated,
• have several Advanced Placement courses available, and
• with strong sports teams,

PLUS the home is near a specific line of the Metro, we are fully equipped to help you (in addition to our deep knowledge in the subject, we have developed specialized resources -not available anywhere else- to support the needs of sophisticated home buyers).

And not only can we help you find the right home in the right school boundary, we will bring to your attention news about upcoming boundary changes that may affect your decision.

Summary

• Generalists help with simple housing requirements
• Specialist Realtors® are the best option for people with sophisticated housing requirements

At Home by School, we can help you find the right home in the right school boundary

We have the experience and the tools to help you find the right home in the right school boundary.

And, rest assured that we’re NOT going to “sell” you on a specific home or school.  Our job is to get you all the information you need to help you make the best decision for your move.

 If you are looking to purchase a home by school boundary, email us or give us a call today at: (703) 480-6575.

Photo by EdenPictures & Christines on Flickr

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