When Buying or Selling Real Estate, Long-Term Relationships Are Key

When it comes to investing, it pays to get the best advice in the business. 

The same goes for real estate. 

Whether it’s the first home for a growing family or the fifth property in a portfolio, everyone wants to make a good buy that will appreciate over the years. And if building wealth through property is a goal, having a trusted broker for the long term is crucial. 

“I wish my title were ‘real estate wealth adviser,’” said Jim Walberg, a luxury real estate agent with the San Francisco Bay Area team of Compass. “That’s how we’re really working with them—as a real estate adviser, just as they would with their wealth adviser or their CPA or their attorney. We are an important part of the financial team.” 

To that end, Mr. Walberg and his team often work with families for decades, eventually even taking their grown-up children on as clients as well. And the longer they work together, the better the agents know their clients’ needs and wants. 

Experience is paramount for a real estate agent. He or she will also have an extensive network of affluent buyers and other luxury brokers, as well as deep local knowledge. 

While a smart investor already has a trusted real estate advisor on call to help navigate a deal, finding the right one isn’t always easy. 

That’s when designations can help. In the luxury market, agents who have completed robust training and proven themselves in their home markets are eligible for these specialized distinctions. 

One example is the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) from The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. Agents who have received this designation have not only gone through the Institute’s training but also have access to its networks, tools, and data. That access can give brokers an extra edge when marketing a particularly unique high-end home.