AdvantageRealtyFL.com

Open Houses are a working part of selling a home. Buyers are more comfortable in most cases attending an Open House then booking a showing, especially in the early stages of the process. From a Realtor's prospective it is always a challenge to achieve attendance for these events. Most advertising venues are not cost effective and promoting them through the MLS limits your exposure to licensed professionals and really doesn't reach the public. With that being said I have started a Facebook page for our Lakeland market called  OPEN HOUSE LAKELAND & POLK COUNTY Anyone can post to the page however all posts are screened prior to posting to the page. The best part is that it can be viewed by anyone! I will be putting a 2nd Open House page into service for our St. Pete Beach Pinellas County market as well. Here at ADVANTAGE REALTY FLORIDA we pride ourselves in advancing the Real Estate business, providing the customer with a positive & professional experience!...

I am hearing from many of my colleagues that this is now considered to be a buyers market? I guess that really depends on your definition thereof. Simply stated it is when the market climate favors the buyer. The higher interest rates we are experiencing (in the 4.0% range) are making it tougher for some buyers to qualify especially with the inflated pricing structure in place. The theory is that prices will come down to improve the sales, with keeping more people in play. Since most of my friends are Realtors I am curious as to your opinion. As Realtor's we pride ourselves in being able to adapt to any market environment. Working together and sharing insights help us and our industry move ahead. Feel free to follow the Blog itself however I share it to Facebook & Twitter and try to publish something every Monday. Below is a table/link that I attached from one of my favorite sites, BankRate.com: Today’s Mortgage Interest Rates 3-month trend 30-year f...

SPRING BREAK IS HERE!!! The lodging rates at the beach hotels are through the roof! People are scrambling just to find a place to stay. Most rates exceed $300 a day. Spring break typically starts in February and runs into late April. Not only is spring break busy but the trend is Rents (long term) have skyrocketed across the board increasing 30 to 80% depending. It's become a mecca for an Investor who is willing to rent out their property when they are not using it. With all the different regulations in regards to vacation rentals I advise any investor to employ a savvy "beach expert" to quide you through the in's and outs so you don't get burnt. Our "Beach Crew" has you covered!   Go to AdvantageRealtyFL.com Select St. Pete and just click on one of the Realtor's pictures to get started!  Simple as that!  

AS A CUSTOMER: Experience & Focus are very important! You need a highly experienced Realtor who knows what they are doing and really cares about you the customer. Here at Advantage I hand pick my Associates and only recruit people who reflect those credentials. We are a small "boutique" firm that has been around for over 14 years and has a great track history of sales. AS A REALTOR: Being a part of a small "boutique" firm has it's advantages!  We only hire enough full-time Associates to handle the traffic for that market. This equates to more leads per agent. We keep our overhead low so we can pay our Associates top commissions as well as advertise & promote them. We don't charge any fees to our people so that they keep more of their hard earned commissions. By being small the Broker is able to work one on one with anyone that needs advice. We definitely aren't a good fit for "new Realtor's" but we are a great fit for experien...

The Real Estate Market is booming! Anytime business is good the market becomes saturated with people who get their Real Estate license thinking they are going to make big $$'s. This tends to crowd the industry with inexperienced and in some cases unethical performers. In the 17+ years I've been doing this I've seen many come and many go. My point is that a Real Estate transaction in most cases is a one time deal for most people and will be their biggest and most crucial purchase of their lives. It is very important that they choose well as to who they have assist them in the endeavor. My firm Advantage Realty Florida only employs experienced  Associates and if I do enlist someone who is new I do one on one mentoring to make sure our customer's are benefiting from many years of past experience. I purposely keep our groups small and focused. Most firms crowd their ranks with anyone who can achieve a license, charge them a fee for belonging and just turn them loose o...

I am still amazed at the number of people who fail to work with a specific Realtor going it on their own. A Real Estate transaction is probably the biggest thing they will ever do and yet they go at it haphazardly. As a buyer your selected Realtor does not get paid by you so essentially they are free to you. Granted they do receive compensation from the sellers but that rate is normally predefined within a listing agreement structured by the seller's representation. Nothing to be gained by approaching the listing agent directly looking to save some $$$'s. Most of us are transaction brokers which means we work with buyers and sellers alike executing our services equally and fairly. We know the area and the current market and share our knowledge with you our "customer". Right now inventories are low and we are highly motivated to acquire listings. I myself am offering a 1.5% listing rate to my customers. This can save the customer thousands of $$$'s in what may be...

Starting a new week in Lakeland. Still unpacking and settling in but I'm ready to hit the ground running. Plan on setting up meetings with prospective clients as well as area Realtor's. I am excited to be back in the community and anxious to get started building back up our market share in Lakeland / Polk County. If you are considering selling your home or Commercial building feel free to reach out to me, Broker Richard Castret 863-640-3127 or email me AdvantageRealtyFL@outlook.com   Also if you are looking to purchase I have over 14 years living and working here so I know where the deals and values are! ALSO AREA REALTORS! I am actively recruiting Associates. We are a NO FEES & HIGH COMMISSIONS BROKERAGE Want to learn more???   Contact me: 863-640-3127. All inquiries are kept strictly confidential. If you want to earn more and pay out less we are worth the look.    AdvantageRealtyFL.com