Here’s What Being a “Full-Service” Real Estate Agent Means to Us
To me — and, I believe, to my broker associates at Golden Real Estate — being a “full-service” real estate agent means more than providing the minimum “uniform duties” set forth by the Colorado Real Estate Commission, with my comments in brackets:
“Broker shall exercise reasonable skill and care for seller, including, but not limited to the following:
Performing the terms of any written or oral agreement with seller;
Presenting all offers to and from seller in a timely manner, regardless of whether the property is subject to a contract for sale;
Those are the minimum duties spelled out by the Real Estate Commission for an agent representing a seller. The Commission spells out similar duties for a broker representing a buyer, tenant or landlord.
Disclosing to seller adverse material facts [about the buyer] actually known by broker;
Advising seller to obtain expert advice as to material matters about which broker knows but the specifics of which are beyond the expertise of broker;
Accounting in a timely manner for all money and property received; and
Keeping seller fully informed [throughout] the transaction.
Those are the minimum duties, whether the agent is functioning as a transaction broker or an agent. A transaction broker, which we don’t recommend, is a broker who owes no fidelity to either party, but merely facilitates the transaction. If the broker is an agent, broker has the following additional duties:
“Promoting the interests of seller with the utmost good faith, loyalty and fidelity [above those of the buyer or him/herself].
Seeking a price and terms that are acceptable to seller [or better].
Counseling seller as to any material benefits or risks of a transaction that are actually known by broker.”
At Golden Real Estate, my broker associates and I are always seeking to “go the extra mile” when serving our clients. For sellers, that could include such things as providing a free professional staging consultation before the home goes on the market, so that it shows its best.
Sometimes the staging consultant recommends moving furniture, and, of course, we help there. And sometimes repairs are required, for which we provide our in-house handyman at the client-only rate of $30 per hour. He can handle light plumbing and light electrical matters such as replacing a vanity, toilet or chandelier, and he’s also good at doing drywall repair, including texturing.
A seller who is downsizing may need to sell or give away unwanted furniture. In many instances, we’ve been able to get the winning buyer in a bidding war to agree to purchase all the unwanted furniture — even if they didn’t want it. If there’s enough good quality furniture, we have an estate sales vendor who will run a sale and then donate the unsold furniture (using his own truck) to the International Rescue Committee, which donates that furniture to refugees from other countries for whom the IRC has found housing.
(When Rita and I sold our Golden home in 2022, we had a bidding war, and the buyer paid us $10,000 for the furniture we didn’t want in our 55+ apartment, and, best of all, I wrote into the contract that we could leave anything else that we didn’t want. That included our garage full of tools and “stuff”!)
Before our box truck died, we provided it
Here Are Some Reviews From Our Past Clients:
Golden Real Estate is the best residential real estate agency i have ever worked with. And I have bought more than 20 houses. What I like most is that they are not afraid to express their frank opinions about any piece of real estate. And I love the house they found for us on South Golden Road. — Don Parker Dave Dlugasch did a phenomenal job working with us! We were not easy buyers because of an extensive “wish list” and he did his homework on each property we looked at until we found the right one. He gave us great advice and was very supportive of all our questions throughout the entire process.
— M. Madigan
Based on Jim Smith's knowledge, experience, and expertise in the real estate arena, we decided to work with him when it came time to downsize. We used Jim and his real estate firm to both purchase the new home and sell our existing property. All communication with Jim has been top notch. He also provided all packing materials and labor to make our move. It was a great experience from start to finish.
— R. Trujillo
We were beyond impressed with Kathy Jonke! She went above and beyond for us. She accommodated all of our needs. She was insightful and extremely helpful throughout the entire process! I can’t recommend her more!
— Eve Wilson
Not only did Jim Smith do a superb job in the marketing and sale of our home, he provided his company's moving truck and long time handyman Mark to move our belongings to our new home in Broomfield. When a problem occurred, he hired an outside moving company to help complete the move in one day instead of two! We are so pleased that Jim helped us through the process of selling our home and moving us into our new home.
— Reese & Sally Ganster Chuck Brown is a superb Realtor. He is very knowledgeable regarding the market, very
proactive and highly professional. Chuck was great at identifying potential properties that met our criteria, he moved very quickly to show us potential properties and his analysis of property values was on point and very thorough. Chuck was extremely proactive and responsive in his communications with us. Chuck went above and beyond our expectations. My wife and I have done six real estate transactions and we think Chuck is the best Realtor ever. We would highly recommend Chuck to other home buyers. — S. Diamond I was helping my mom and her husband sell the house. David Dlugasch was very accommodating to this dynamic. He arranged for all the paperwork to be done at the nursing home for the ease of my mom. David and I worked together to get the very full and dated house ready to go on the market. He went above and beyond by going to the paint store and hardware store etc. He was always available via text for any question I had along the way. He had a lot of resources. The best one was Mark, the handyman. I could always count on Mark. Mark was very meticulous and could do anything. What a great team! I could not have taken on this monumental task without them!!
—Heidi Warner
Greg Kraft was knowledgeable and professional. He was very easy to work with and was super proactive in searching the listings. That was a key in us managing to buy the townhome in a very competitive market. He was also very responsive and communicated really well with us and the listing agents. We would recommend him without reservation.
— J. Knight
Jim Swanson was kind and patient while listening to my questions. He helped me to translate the real estate language and manage the sale process. He connected the dots, allowing me to make good decisions, maintain my personal integrity and profit from the sale when a great offer came to the forefront. Jim, Thank you for putting communication and community first. — Name Withheld
for only the cost of gas used by buyers and sellers, and we still have a storage shed full of previously used moving boxes of all sizes, packing paper and bubble wrap, which we provide free to clients. Many times I have delivered those boxes and packing materials to a client so they don’t have to pick them up. (We’re running low on small moving boxes, if you have some you’d like to give us.)
Sometimes a seller will need to move furniture or other belongings into a storage unit so their home shows better, and we have been able a couple times to procure a free first month’s rent, with no contract beyond that.
Our personal “cleaning lady” isn’t taking on new accounts but is always available for one-time move-out cleanings of our listings. I just found out that she pulls out the range and refrigerator and cleans behind them, which I wouldn’t have expected, but which makes sense, because the buyer is likely to replace one of those appliances and would be disgusted at how dirty it was there! Thanks, Cybil!
Golden Real Estate is still one of the only brokerages which shoots a narrated video tour for every listing and posts it on YouTube, with links to the MLS, which in turns gets it onto the public and broker websites which get their listings from the MLS. We’ve been doing that for two decades, yet other brokers have been slow to realize its value. It has resulted in some out-of-state buyers (including one last fall) going under contract without seeing the listing in person until they fly in for the home inspection.
We also have switched to a photographic vendor owned by Zillow for shooting the magazine-quality still photos and Matterport interactive photos for our listings. They also
“Real Estate Today” will be on this page every other week, so the next time you’ll see it will be May 22. On those alternate weeks, you will find a half-page ad on a related topic. Next week it will be my monthly “Let’s Talk Home Financing” column. On May 29th it will be on a topic related to sustainability.
create accurate floor plans of every listing and shoot a drone video and aerial photos. Because the vendor is owned by Zillow, our listings garner priority display on that important website.
I’m also a member agent on Homes.com, the nation’s new #1 listing website, which garners each of our listings many times more views than otherwise. Here’s a recent statistical report sent to one of my sellers:
I love rolling up my own sleeves and getting dirty for my clients. Once I used a logging chain and my truck to pull juniper bushes out of the front yard of a listing to improve its curb appeal. I look forward to the opportunity to surprise and delight you with what we consider being a “full service” Realtor!
These Past “Real Estate Today” Columns May Interest You
Clickable links for each column can be found at www.JimSmithColumns.com
Feb. 20, 2025 — We Have a Tool to Help You Find the ‘Perfect’ Home That’s Not on the MLS
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Nov. 7, 2024 — We Need to Take Seriously the Pollutants Emitted When Cooking With Gas
Oct. 31, 2024 — Cooperative Living Presents an Attractive Alternative for Downsizing Seniors
Sept. 26, 2024 — Some Thoughts on Keeping Your Death From Becoming an Undue Burden on Your Heirs
Sept. 5, 2024 — What Knowledge and Skills Should You Expect Your Real Estate Agent to Have?
Aug. 8, 2024 — Seniors Over 70 Might Consider Downsizing Into a Rental, Not a Smaller Home
July 25, 2024 — Many Homeowners Don’t Understand Title Issues, Which Could Lead to Big Problems Later On
June 6, 2024 — Here Are Some Simple Steps to Take to Avoid Unpleasant Surprises After Closing
Mar. 21, 2024 — What’s Behind the Buzz About ‘Indoor Air Quality’ and ‘Sick Building Syndrome’?
Feb. 22, 2024 — Most Sellers Don’t Know How to Interview a Listing Agent. Here’s Some Guidance.
Dec. 21, 2023 — D.R. Horton Inks Deal to Build Homes With OSB Made From Grass Instead of Wood
Nov. 23, 2023 — Scamming Has Become Its Own Industry, and We’re All Prospective Victims
Sept. 28, 2023 — Insurance Companies Are Pulling Out of California. Is That in Our Future?
Aug. 10, 2023 — What Are Some Common Mistakes That Homeowners Make When Selling?
June 15, 2023 — Don’t Let Capital Gains Tax Deter You From Cashing Out on an Investment Property
May 11, 2023 — Do Agents Inflate the Cost of Buying or Selling Your Home with ‘Junk Fees’?
Apr. 20, 2023 — What Are Some Affordable Ways to Make Your Home More Attractive to Buyers?
Mar. 16, 2023 — Here Are Some Ways to Make Your Home More Accommodating to Seniors
Feb. 9, 2023 — Understanding Indoor Air Quality and How It’s Managed in Super-Insulated Homes
Oct. 27, 2022 — Sales Taxes May Be Lower, But Property Taxes Are Higher in Unincorporated Areas
Oct. 6, 2022 — How to Make Sure That the House You Buy Will Not Be a ‘Money Pit’
Sept. 22, 2022 — What Steps Can You Take to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient?
July 28, 2022 — Aging in Place vs. Moving to a 55+ Community: Here Are Some Considerations
May 26, 2022 — Reflections on Selling Our Home and Moving Into a 55+ Rental Community
Jan. 6, 2022 — Marshall Fire Is a Wake-up Call for Building More Fire-Resistant Homes
Dec. 2, 2021 — My Favorite Home Improvements When Purchasing a New-to-Me Home
Oct. 14, 2021 — Court Rules That Sending an Email Can Bind You, Even Without Signing It Oct. 7, 2021 — What Are the Most Common Foundation Issues You Might Encounter in a Home?
