For Immediate Release:
June 16, 2010
New Database Connects Buyers and Sellers with REALTORS®
(Edison, NJ) Finding a REALTOR® just became a lot easier. Today, the New Jersey Association of REALTORS® (NJAR®) unveiled a new search function that will allow consumers to locate and connect with REALTORS® across the Garden State to get professional assistance with all their real estate needs.
The new searchable database is the latest feature available on the educational consumer website for NJAR®'s Get the REAL Story® campaign, www.REALstoryNJ.com. For the first time, buyers, sellers and people in need of expert advice on their local market can perform a fast and convenient search that will identify a list of REALTORS® based on specific search criteria. Visitors to the site can begin their search by entering their targeted geographic region or by entering a particular REALTOR®'s name or agency.
REALTOR® profiles contain such information as name, nickname, office name, office address, office phone number, designations, and even a photo. Consumers can also use a Web form to e-mail a REALTOR® identified by the search engine. Every search can be further refined by selecting from more options, like language, specialty, and areas served.
"Navigating your way around the real estate industry to find a trusted professional can be confusing and time consuming. Our online database will help streamline the process and provide access to nearly 50,000 REALTORS®," said NJAR® 2010 President Judy Appleby. "Finding the right REALTOR® to fit your special needs is the first of many important steps."
NJAR® provides consumers access to a network of professionals who pledge to abide by a Code of Ethics, which establishes standards of practice that include treating all parties involved in a real estate transaction with honesty and integrity. REALTORS® may be identified by the REALTOR® "R" logo on business cards, websites, and other marketing or sales materials.
In addition to using the searchable database to find a REALTOR®, NJAR® has compiled a list of recommendations to help prospective clients make informed and intelligent decisions about how to choose a REALTOR® when buying, renting or selling property. Tips include the following:
- Be sure you are comfortable with your REALTOR®. Purchasing and selling a home are two of the biggest financial decisions made in one's lifetime. It is important that you feel confident and that you can trust the information you receive from the REALTOR® representing you. In interviewing potential real estate representation, make sure the professional you choose understands your needs and makes you feel "at home."
- Ask for references and check credentials. Also, ask for permission to contact a few of their past clients and interview them to determine if their experiences meet your expectations.
- Examine your needs. If you are buying, you want a REALTOR® with a proven track record of placing clients in homes that they are proud of and happy to live in. If you are selling, you want a REALTOR® who is an expert at identifying your home's strengths and finding a matching prospective buyer. When searching, be specific about your preferences so that your REALTOR® can help you find and obtain the perfect home for you.
For more information on buying or selling a home in New Jersey or to hear personal stories from clients who have used a trusted professional to buy, sell or rent, please visit www.REALstoryNJ.com. To search for a REALTOR® to assist with your real estate needs, visit
www.realstorynj.com/realtor_search.
The New Jersey Association of REALTORS®, with approximately 50,000 REALTOR® and REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® members, is one of the largest trade organizations in the state. NJAR®'s membership is comprised of real estate professionals who subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics and are members of the national and local REALTOR® organizations. As the leading advocate for the real estate industry and private property rights in New Jersey, NJAR® is committed to protecting the dream of homeownership. For more information, please visit www.njar.com.
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