What if there was a real estate resource online for buyers and sellers that was the most powerful blog around, and it was totally free for consumers and required no registration?
We’re talking about over 2,200 real estate articles written by a broker and real estate lawyer (ret.). Many of these articles include the kind of answers to complex issues about listings, marketing, brokerage, negotiating, contingencies, addendums, terminations, home inspections, well inspections, and hundreds of issues that come up in real estate transactions. Many of these articles address legal issues that can only be answered by someone who had real world experience as a real estate attorney for two decades.
Such a resource does exist, and it is the first of four powerful resources packaged together for consumers. It is called The Sequim Real Estate Blog. This blog alone is a godsend for consumers.
But what if there was a second powerful online resource to help buyers and sellers that had hundreds of real estate videos with practical advice and tips that can save you tens of thousands of dollars? There is such a video site, and it is called “Living in Sequim.” Millions have been enjoying these videos for years.
What if we added a third incredible real estate tool for consumers, also free like the others, that had a multiple listing service site designed and programmed for buyers to find and evaluate property with incredible market reporting features? And then suppose this site also offered one of the most experienced buyer’s agents in the country?
And what if this MLS site was also an in-depth research tool for sellers with the power to evaluate their own property by comparing sold, pending, and active listings that are comparable? And suppose it had analysis tools and demographics on hundreds of areas and cities in Washington State? And then . . . what if almost as a super bonus this site also had a new flat fee listing program for sellers anywhere in the State of Washington (where the NWMLS is present) that could save sellers tens of thousands of dollars with a simple $5,000 flat fee instead of 5% or 6%? And then to add another bonus, suppose the listing broker was one of the most experienced and professional broker’s in the country? How cool would that be?
Now combine these three free online resources for consumers, and there’s no comparable real estate package of resources on the Internet, but we aren’t done. There’s a fourth.
Now imagine a real estate book store with a dozen relevant niche real estate books written today for buyers and sellers to educate, guide, and share experiences that will keep them out of traps for the unwary, save them money, and help them more effectively market their properties in these markets, negotiate more effectively, choose a broker more intelligently, and much more. Of course, you would want such books to be written by someone with the education and experience to be credible.
Such a book store exists, and it is found at Chuck Marunde’s Amazon Book Store.
As a Buyer How Can You Take Advantage of All This?
If you’re a buyer on the hunt for a home, you’ll find these resources not only easy to use, but every article, every video, every podcast, and every book are carefully scripted and edited again and again to be accurate, articulate, understandable at the 8th grade level, and as short as practical.
Chuck Marunde also updates his resources constantly, especially the ebooks. Once you’ve purchased one of Chuck’s ebooks, you can always go back to see if there has been an update by checking the copyright page where the “Last Edited Date” will tell you if there’s an update since your purchase, and having once purchased one of his ebooks, you’ll get free updates forever. If you’ve purchased one of his Audible books, updates are automatic to your Audible library.
As the late night infomercials used to say, “Wait, there’s more.” If you retained Chuck as your buyer’s agent, you are entitled to his time and expertise as you search for your home, no matter how many days or months that may take. What he does for his buyers far exceeds what buyers typically experience with other buyers’ agents.
And when you’re ready to have him draft your offer, you’ll be grateful not only for his professional expertise as a broker, but you’ll be especially glad he has 20 years under his belt as a real estate attorney. Of course, Chuck charges nothing additional for his legal expertise. His role will be as a buyer’s agent for you, not as a practicing attorney as he retired from law practice, but all he ever leaned in law is yours for the asking. Honestly, where can you get all this from the average buyer’s agent?
As a Seller How Can You Take Advantage of All This?
If you’re a seller of a home, you undoubtedly want the best marketing, the best representation your commission can buy, but you also want to keep the commission to a reasonable and not excessive amount, right?
Chuck has always felt that the typical listing commission in the industry, ranging from 5% to 7% was far too high, especially as home prices skyrocketed and those commissions started reaching $35,000 to $75,000 or more on homes. This has become apparent to many homeowners as listing agents were listing homes and selling them in a matter of hours or days simply by putting them in the MLS and sitting back while the offers poured in.
There have always been FSBO services and various types of discount brokerages, but none of those models really give a seller the kind of expertise and professional hand-holding they need. Many FSBOs have left money on the table, and many have gotten into legal disputes with buyers because they didn’t have the life long experience of a true professional who practices preventive law.
Finally, with all this in mind, someone created one of the most powerful listing services in the State of Washington for a flat fee of $5,000. Of course, iRealty Virtual Brokers and Chuck Marunde created this business model for sellers with property within Washington State.
More about the flat fee listing service can be found through the menu shown below on WaStateFlatFee.com. As for these powerful resources outlined above, they are not only easy to use, but every article, every video, every podcast, and every book are carefully scripted and edited again and again to be accurate, articulate, understandable at the 8th grade level, and as short as practical.
Chuck Marunde also updates his resources constantly, especially the ebooks. Once you’ve purchased one of Chuck’s ebooks, you can always go back to see if there has been an update by checking the copyright page where the “Last Edited Date” will tell you if there’s an update since your purchase, and having once purchased one of his books, you’ll get free updates forever. If you’ve purchased one of his Audible books, updates are automatic to your Audible library.
As the late night infomercials used to say, “Wait, there’s more.” If you retain Chuck as your flat fee listing broker, you are entitled to his time and expertise during the listing term. What he does for his sellers far exceeds what sellers can find with a traditional bricks and mortar listing agent. Then consider that you’ll be saving thousands or even tens of thousands in commissions, and one might rhetorically ask, “Why would you list with a traditional bricks and mortar broker at 5% of 6%?”
And when a buyer is ready to submit an offer, you’ll be grateful not only for his professional expertise as a broker, but you’ll be especially glad he has 20 years under his belt as a real estate attorney. Of course, Chuck charges nothing additional for his legal expertise. His role will be as a listing broker for you, not as a practicing attorney as he retired from law practice, but all he ever leaned in law is yours for the asking. Honestly, where can you get all this from the average listing agent?
Personal Note on Chuck Marunde, J.D.
It seems appropriate to share this note about Chuck Marunde after boasting about his credentials. His education and career is all laid out on his websites if you want to delve into his professional history. Despite Chuck’s degrees and professional status, he is personally easy to talk to, pleasant to work with, and is a very positive personality. He’s definitely not a narcissist, and he’s actually written a book entitled, “How Narcissists Destroy Companies and Kill Startups: Wisdom To Save Your Company.”
At the root of Chuck’s philosophy is that you as the client are the Principal and the boss, and he is the Agent and serves you. While that is the law of agency, Chuck actually practices this and believes that his clients’ best interests are and must always be at the center of his Universe, even above his commission potential. If you review some of the testimonials, you’ll discover all this.
The last relevant point is that Chuck makes himself available to clients who retain him as their broker, and he has one phone number, and he is the only one who answers it. You may laugh at this, but unlike most brokers who seem to hide their cell phone numbers, Chuck says, “Call me or text me. I’m 360-775-5424.”
Last Updated on August 6, 2022 by Chuck Marunde
