Rebecca Thate

RE/MAX Advantage Plus

How many years in the business: 20

Q: Give us a little bio of yourself, how and when and why you got into real estate?

I am the proud mother of 2 children. I love great food, golf, sunshine, music and traveling. I was in my mid-twenties when I decided to venture out on my own in the business world. I was working as a designer helping my dad’s start-up at the time. During a visit from family from Austin, TX, I learned from my aunt that all of these skills and interests come together in Real Estate. It took time for me to save up the courage and finances to go out on my own but it was the best decision I made. I love what I do.

Q: What have been the biggest changes in the business that you’ve seen over the years:

The biggest change I’ve noticed over the years has been in the technologies available to market participants and the impact of this technology upon buyer and seller psychology. The sophistication of the tools, the quality and quantity of data, and the availability of records are now at the fingertips of consumers. When a prospective buyer enters a property or home it is now their “second’’ showing. The first showing now occurs online when making the decision to schedule an appointment. The occasional “drive by and see the sign” encounters still occur but with less frequency. Also, the process of making offers and the overall administration has shifted a fair bit. Most of it is now electronic - right down to the signatures. The second biggest shift has been in the psychology of the seller and buyer. Consumers think differently now about properties precisely because the viewing of properties is different than it was twenty years ago.

Q: What do you think are the secrets to your success?

My keys are developing strong relationships and listening to each client. Buying and selling a home is more often than not a stressful time. Significant amounts of money is changing hands. It is important to understand motivations, needs, and non-negotiables in such circumstances.

Q: How have higher prices, rising interest, and low stock changed the landscape and how you approach your job?

Depending on the market situation and client, more aggressive approaches and terms, more patience, some pivoting, and increased creativity are necessary.

Q: What are some of the key questions buyers and sellers should be asking real estate agents?

What is happening in the market? How will it impact their goals? What time lines should they expect? What challenges can be forecast? What solutions can they propose to such foreseeable challenges? What is the total cost of sale? Which terms are flexible?

Q: What things are buyers and sellers unprepared for or mistakes they make coming into the process?

Buyers and sellers tend to be under-educated on financing options and different loan Buyers and sellers can also be unprepared for the varying predictable challenges that will likely arise. Having creative options for flexibility and pre-established pivot strategies is a secret weapon in the buying and selling of a home.

There is a great deal of information available to buyers and sellers. Not all information is equal. The most common research errors I’ve noticed tend to result from non specified searches and faulty comps with their local market.

Q: What would people be surprised to know about you?

I am an adventurer. When I was seventeen, I had enough credits to graduate early, so I moved to Venezuela. A former youth group volunteer was looking for a teacher’s assistant in art and photography, so I went to work for her. I lived in Venezuela for four months in a small village in the mountains.