Realtors need to know alot of stuff.
A good realtor should be prepared to talk on anything from septic and electrical systems, to architectural styles of a home, the quality of nearby schools and hospitals, and overall housing trends.
A good realtor should be prepared to give an intelligent response for any number of situations.
But what about water features that are part of a real estate deal.
Water features come in a broad range of types, styles, and presentations, from the simple to the very complex.
Many homes these days could have some sort of water features on premise.
Not having a basic understanding of water features could potentially break an otherwise close-able deal.
Having a basic understanding of water features, or a guide on how to deal with them,can come in very handy.
Don’t let a deal get lost because of a potentially simple situation.
Here are 6 things I think all realtors should know or do when handling water features.
- Connect with a local water feature professional – Make sure to have a specialist in your arsenal of contacts. You already have an electrician, a plumber, a landscaper, a pool guy, even a local dentist; it’s time to expand your arsenal and get a water feature professional in there. Have a water feature professional’s business card handy for your home buying clients. Invite a water feature professional to speak at your next realtors association meeting or company meeting.
- Procure a water feature assessment report from a water feature professional – Get an understanding of what type of water feature you are dealing with. Is it a koi pond or a water garden? Is it a water fall or a fountain? Is it open source or recirculating? Is there a pump? Is there a filter? What kind of fish are in the pond? Many homes are sold with non working features and clients get angry, and angry clients talk. Water feature professionals can provide reports that will let a realtor and buyer know exactly what is coming with that new property.
- Evaluate the water feature – Some water features cost alot of money. Statuary, equipment, plantings, rock-work, etc. can be very expensive. What may appear to be a simple statue could be worth many thousands. Pond fish can be valuable. Did you know the most expensive koi fish in the world sold in excess of 2 million dollars!
- Clean up the feature / Get it running – A dirty and/or non-functioning water feature can look really bad. It easily creates a poor visual for a buyer. Seeing an amazing and clean waterfall display in a prospective backyard vs. seeing a feature covered in leaves or not functioning, raises a red flag. A quick cleaning can make all the difference.
- Offer an FREE on-site consult for new home owners – Most pond professionals would be happy to meet with a new homeowner who is also the new owner of a water feature. That direct qualified contact will usually mean gaining a client for the water feature professional. Wouldn’t it ease the mind of buyers to know that you are arranging to have a water feature professional come on-site to tell them about their water feature? Well don’t you just think of everything!
- Water feature removal– Be prepared with someone who can remove the water feature. Sometimes it just may be the case that removal is the only option. Perhaps it is the desire of the buyer to not have a water feature. Perhaps the water feature is not redeemable due to terrible aesthetics or disrepair. The reasons can be any, so be prepared to make a client happy with the solution to remove the feature all together. It would still be recommended to contact a water feature professional for this type of work, not a landscaper. The water feature professional knows how these features are installed, they will know the best way to uninstall most efficiently and cost effectively.
If there is no other advice that is taken from this post, the realtor should make it a priority to connect with a local water feature specialist. They could be the difference between a sale closed and a sale lost, or the difference between a client satisfied, or the angry client. Realtors occupy a unique niche in our society. Realtor as a profession functions as a navigator and facilitator to deliver residence and dwellings to those who need, want, or dream of a place to call home. This is likely a client’s largest investment in their lifetime. It’s a pretty awesome responsibility to your client. Dreams, wants, and needs are not so easily fulfilled.The realtor, the ambassador to dreams fulfilled, must really deliver. The realtor’s reputation depends on it.
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