In a fast-paced industry like real estate, staying ahead of the competition is just as important as staying informed and on top of your market. Christian Zarif, a REALTOR® with Better Homes and Gardens Kansas City Homes, understands this, and has armed herself with the tools she needs to elevate herself and impress her buyers, sellers and prospects. One of those tools that highly benefits her business is Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®), a single-source database that removes agents’ reliance on consumer-centric search methods, providing one streamlined system that real estate professionals can utilize based on their needs and the needs of those they serve. Closed to the public, RPR is a system that REALTORS® have full control over, and can use to wow clients and prospects in the field or at listing presentations.
“As an agent, it puts you on another level in terms of your knowledge, and especially in terms of the client’s perception. Pulling that next level of information from RPR doesn’t take long, and it definitely impresses clients,” says Zarif.
RPR combines a multitude of sources into one easy-to-use resource, compiling public records and tax assessment information; liens, stand-alone mortgages and refinancing loans; school district data, reviews and test scores, and more. It also provides cutting-edge geo-spatial imagery, heat maps, and historical property photos to further aid agents in getting the specific, detailed information that each of their clients demands.
For Zarif, her primary use of RPR is for listing presentations, where she pulls financial records and mortgage records to help her buyers and sellers make a more informed decision.
“On the selling side, I use RPR frequently. It’s my main source when pulling a CMA or market stats for sellers,” says Zarif. “It’s critical for me going into a listing presentation. I can go in eyes wide open because RPR provides me with that extra knowledge before going into appointments.”
On the buying side, RPR allows Zarif to see how much negotiating power her buyers might have by helping her determine if there’s any wiggle room when it comes to the price. It also clues her into the motivation level of the seller.
Accompanying this already powerful tool is the RPR mobile app, which Zarif uses in the field at showings. With the app’s geo-mapping capabilities, Zarif can view the land around a property in order to give her clients a bigger picture about the overall area they’re considering.
“On the map, I can see a vacant plot of land behind the house or a neighboring parcel and find out very quickly who owns that property and what it sold for. I can say, ‘This is probably not a house you want to take a look at because right behind it is a huge five-story apartment complex going up in the next 12 months.’ The RPR app allows me to pull up that background information,” she says.
With the app in hand, Zarif can answer questions on the spot or dispel any inaccuracies that crop up during a showing. Oftentimes, a buyer will ask her what she thinks about a particular aspect of the home or deal and she can turn the tables armed with RPR’s comprehensive and accurate data.
“It’s so easy to hand my phone over to a buyer and ask them, ‘What do you think about it?’”
Zarif points to one instance that truly exemplified RPR’s ease of use and convenience. Last November, while in New Orleans for the National Association of REALTORS® Conference and Expo, her mother was back home trying to help a client who was interested in viewing a For-Sale-By-Owner property. Her mom went into the tax records to figure out who the property owner was, but the information didn’t match up with the person she was calling. Zarif says it took her mom eight hours to figure out who the owner was, but it only took Zarif 30 seconds using RPR.
“I could see that the home was traded without having gone through the MLS,” says Zarif. “With RPR, you can pull details up quickly, and so many agents need that.”
For more information, please visit www.narrpr.com.
