Ben Lauer - Dallas, TX Real Estate Agent

What year did you become a real estate agent?
2005

How many years have you been in Real Estate?
3 1/2 years as a Realtor, before getting my license I worked as a real estate investment trainer/inv

What is the average home price in your market?
$250,000-$350,000 but I've sold many homes below $100,000 and the bigger homes have been well over a

Are there any new developments or trends in your area?
The most common trend in the Dallas area right now are the new builds going up on premium lots. Older homes built in the 40's-60's are being sold to be torn down so a bigger more extravagent home can be put in it's place. This can be a great longterm investment if done properly, otherwise it can be costly and daunting. Things such as the drainage problems or increased foundational stress are often overlooked and require someone who's experienced in this market.

Why do you enjoy being a real estate agent?
There are tremendous opportunities to meet great people and provide a fantastic service. I enjoy learning about the subtleties of the market we're in and being able to truly make a habit of studying something I'm totally engrossed in. If it's important to you that your agent be knowledgable and up to date on the local market and trends there is no one who can provide you more insight and guidance.

What is the most challenging issue you face as a Real Estate Professional?
Telling a client their home won't sell for what they want it to sell for is probably the hardest thing I come up against on a day to day basis. Of couse everyone loves their home, thats a given. The problem is that when you list your home for sale the buyer is checking all the homes in the area for his choice not just yours, so we need to be able to give that buyer a unique value to purchase your home rather than your neighbor's. When I have to tell a client their home won't get them what they want to get for it, it's because I want the home to sell and the toughest part of all that is bridging the gap between what my seller would like and what will actually get the home sold. Ultimately if the client needs to sell the home, that becomes their biggest concern and at that point my job becomes making sure I can convince my clients to present the home in a way that will get it sold, otherwise I'm not really doing what I need to be doing.

Tell us one of your client success stories or an interesting moment in your profession.
I had a client who needed to sell her home in order to buy a condo in an elderly community where she could get help if she needed it as she got older. Due to the stipulations of the community she had to sell the home to buy the home in next 60 days or they could no longer hold the unit for her. She also had to make enough from the sale of the home in order to purchase the condo, she was on a fixed income and could not afford a house payment. It was a difficult transaction and due to the ammount she needed to get from the sale to purchase the condo it took longer than the 60 days. I worked very hard with the staff at the community and they were willing to let me keep working on the deal for an extra month until I got a contract on the home that worked. It took a lot of coaxing of the staff, and I'd like to say I got the home sold for top dollar in 3 days or something triumphant like that, but in the end sometimes thats unrealistic. I got the home sold and in the end my client met her goal of moving into the community without a monthly mortgage payment, she was extatic. I've made a lot more money on many other deals but there aren't many I worked harder on or felt more fulfilled in.

What is your best characteristic?
I think I convey more honesty in my business than most people in any profession. I've turned down listing homes before because I didn't feel it was the right move for the client, and I've told buyers not to buy a home because I thought we could do better. I think honesty is everything because if you can't trust anything someone tells you why would you EVER do business with them?

Who or what inspires you the most?
I think it's inspiring to see someone struggle and make it. I like reading books about success and hearing quotes from famous people. In the end I think it's really the ability to do anything in real estate that I put my mind to, I think real estate is one of the last TRUE capitolist economies and it's truly inspiring to think that anything is REALLY possible.

What is the best advice you ever received?
Take advice from people who are qualified to give it.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I love living in Dallas. I've also lived in Wisconsin and Kansas City MO but I really do love Dallas and I'd like to travel more but I don't know if I'd ever want to move.