Realtors

A/s Kalkvaerksgrundene Able Inc. Alcinver Sa Alerion Industries Spa Allreal Holding AG Almagro SA Alto Palermo S.a. (apsa) American Real Estate Partners, L.P. Ana Real Estate Company Limited Asahi Homes Company Limited Asticus Ab Barprop Limited Beijing Jingxi Tourism Development Co., Ltd. Bolton Group (international) Limited BONAPARTE SPA Brauerei Cluss Ag Brazil Realty S.a. Empreendimentos E Participacoes Brookfield Homes Ltd C's Create Co.,ltd CADILLAC FAIRVIEW CORP Capcount Property Trust Capital Investment of Hawaii, Inc. CB Inversiones Inmobiliaries SA Celebrities Real Estate Development Group Company Limited Cesar Co. Chengdu Brilliant Development Group, Inc. Cheung Kong (holdings) Limited China Sports Industry Group Company Limited Chongqing Yukaifa Co., Ltd. Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust Consolidated Companies Consolidated Properties Ltd. COUNTRYWIDE ASSURED GROUP PLC Countrywide Plc Dongguan Winnerway Industrial Zone, Ltd. DROTT AB Dynacity Corporation Ejendomsaktieselskabet Norden Epa Invest A/s Fabege Ab Farley Group Plc Fast Partner AB Fastighets Ab Regnbagen FASTIGHETS AB TORNET Financial Street Holding Company Limited Fine Homes International L.P. FirstService Corporation Fiscambi Holding Spa Fujian Changyuan Investment Company Limited G. Accion S.a. DE C.v. Gazit Globe Limited Genecan Financial Corporation

Germania-Epe AG Grubb & Ellis Company Guangcai Construction Group Co., Ltd. Guangdong Golden Dragon Development Guangzhou Donghua Enterprise, Ltd. Hainan Overseas Chinese Heilongjiang Tianlun Real Estate Development Company Limited Hengda Real Estate Company Limited Hilab Ab HomeServices.com Homestore, Inc. Honeygrove Group Plc Hopson Development Holdings Limited Hpt Holding Ag Hsbs Riksforbund Huafa Industrial Co., Ltd. Zhuhai Hubei Wuchangyu Co., Ltd. Hysan Development Company Limited Idu Company Innvest Real Estate Investment Trust Investa A/s Ipi Istituto Piemontese Immobiliare Japan Central Real Estate Co., Ltd. Japan General Estate Co., Ltd. Jigsaw Holdings Limited JOINT CORPORATION Jones Lang Lasalle Inc. Juldis Development Public Co., Ltd. Kennedy-Wilson, Inc. Killam Properties Inc Klovern Fastigheter Ab Kungsleden AB LA Fonte Participacoes S/a Lanbo Financial Group, Inc. Lands Improvement Holdings Plc Levitt Corporation Florida Lexford Residential Trust Linstow Asa Ljungberggruppen AB Lodet Fastighets Ab London & Metropolitan Plc Maisons France Confort Meiho Enterprise Co., Ltd. Meiwa Estate Company Limited Milestone Properties, Inc. Molyneux Estates Plc Mony Real Estate Investors Mountleigh Group Plc Multiplex Group Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc. Nexia Holdings, Inc. Nisshin Fudosan Co., Ltd.

Nora Eiendom A.s O S Co., Ltd. Pacific Gateway Properties, Inc Pacific Management Corporation PEVE PREDIOS SA. PT WAHANA JAYA PERKASA TERBUKA Public Storage Canadian Properties Qinhuangdao Bohai Distribution Recruit Cosmos CO., Ltd. Risa Partners, Inc. Royal Lepage Limited Sagami Railway CO Ltd Security Capital Group Inc. Shanghai Industrial Development Shortland Properties Limited Silverleaf Resorts, Inc. Societe Immobiliere Paix-daunou Sonomawest Holdings, Inc. Stanhope Properties Plc Sumitomo Real Estate Sales Co., Ltd. Tact Home Takara Leben Company Limited Tellus Ejendomsinvest A/s Thomas Properties Group, Inc. Tianchuang Property Co., Ltd. Tianjin Reality Dev.(group) Co., Ltd. Tokyu Livable, Inc. Tomkor Limited TOTAL SPORT & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED Towa Real Estate Development Company Limited Tower Properties Company Trammell Crow Company U.K. LAND PLC Union Inmobiliaria SA Universal Rightfield Property Holdings Incorporated Value Property Trust Village Life Ltd Vistana, Inc. Vukile Property Fund Ltd Westfield Group Wichford Plc Winsan (shanghai) Industrial Wood (john D) & Co Plc Xinjiang Guanghui Industry Co., Ltd. Yasuragi CO Ltd Yit-kiinteistot Oy Yorkpoint S & T Company Yuraku Real Estate Co., Ltd. Zhejiang Guangsha Co., Ltd. Zhejiang Xinhu Venture Investment Company Limited

Guide to Realtors

Find a real estate professional to help with property buying and selling needs
By LaRita M. Heet

	Real Estate Agents: The Real Deal Realtors must be licensed according to state laws. Working with a knowledgeable real estate agent can protect you against potentially expensive legal liabilities. Find a real estate professional who respects and honors your home buying or selling needs and wants.

The world of real estate is a complicated one, so it makes good business sense to work with a home realtor, commercial real estate broker, or other real estate professional to help you through your real estate transactions. Make sure you find a real estate agent with experience and a good reputation.

Here are the top benefits to working with realtors:

1. Real estate agents and brokers must be licensed by the state to collect money from representing another person in a real estate transaction.
2. Find a real estate agent to take most of the responsibility and time commitment of home buying/selling off your shoulders.
3. Real estate referral websites offer a way to screen real estate agents and brokers before you choose one.

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get customer real estate referrals to locate the top real estate agents and brokers One popular way of finding a real estate agent is through the real estate referrals from other customers. Go through a real estate referral website, and/or ask the real estate broker for a list of references you can contact to learn more about your realtor-to-be.

I recommend:  Homethinking is a real estate referral website that helps you select a real estate broker or agent by showing you what he or she has done in the past - and more importantly, what his clients and customers have said about the job he did.

Find your realtor through well-reputed home realtor companies Real estate agents and brokers vary greatly depending on the realtor companies with which they're associated, their skills, and dedication to the job.

I recommend:  Visit RE/MAX to locate residential or commercial real estate agents and brokers throughout the world.

Work with a member of the National Association of REALTORS A Realtor is a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), the world's largest professional association. A real estate professional who is NOT a member of NAR may not refer to him/herself as 'Realtor,' but rather as a real estate professional, real estate broker, or real estate agent.

I recommend:  To find a local member of the National Association of REALTORS, you can search commercial or home Realtors by city, state, ZIP code, or Realtor professional designations.

Find a real estate agent for your business needs Whether you're looking for the best real estate agent for your home or business needs, there are real estate professionals who specialize in your real estate needs.

I recommend:  Well-known real estate giant, Prudential, works with businesses to help fulfill their commercial property needs, or with employee relocation services.

Choose real estate referral websites for local home realtor referrals There's no substitute for a real estate agent who knows about, works in, and lives in the community where you're looking to buy/sell.

I recommend:  Hire a real estate professional in your area at LocalRealty.com. Submit your real estate needs information to 121 Ltd., and they'll forward your request to a local real estate agent, who will provide you with 'no-obligation' information. 

Evaluate real estate agents and brokers through other agents Don't be fooled into thinking that 'top producer' real estate agents (AKA top sellers) are the best realtors out there. Ask other realtors for referrals to the real estate professionals who will offer you a customer-centric experience.

I recommend:  Most Referred is a network of peer-selected real estate agents who cannot pay to join the service, unlike many other real estate agent websites or prescreening referral services.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• In some states - or within some home realtors' listing agreements - the realtor is entitled to a commission even if you show/sell the home to a buyer you found on your own, if the listing agreement is still in effect.
• Find a home realtor who is well-versed in financial matters, including specialized loan products.
• There are a variety of seller's listing agreements out there, so be sure you understand your choices before signing anything.
• Look for a real estate agent or real estate broker whose schedule allows him/her the flexibility to meet with you after work, on weekends, or at whatever time is good for you.
• By law, the real estate agent's commission must be negotiable (between the realtor and client).
• Real estate professionals most often charge their commission as a percentage of the purchase amount of the property.