Interview with Real Estate Salesman

Salesperson Interview
By Allen Perry

Curtis Payne is a real estate sales person who deals in the Fresno area with an emphasis on the East side of the city. Payne is not affiliated with the N.A.R., but he is still an upcoming salesman in that area of Fresno. Payne is a 43 year old, happily married, father of two and resides here in Fresno. Payne hopes to one day become a certified member of the N.A.R. but for now is doing the independent real estate route for this field of work. Here is the interview that I conducted with Mr. Curtis Payne from the conversation we had.

Q: How did you get into the real estate business?

A: Well, it was about 10 years ago now. I needed a means to support my children and my 9 to 5 was not getting the job done so I looked into taking some real estate courses because I heard everyone was making money! Even if they just dabbled in the market, so I finished up some community real estate courses and jumped head first into the real estate game. The rest is history.

Q: What are your favorite aspects of working in real estate?

A: The obvious answer would be tat it allows me to make extra income, but to really answer that I would have to say that you could get work done outside of an office setting. I don’t like to be cooped in a miniature cubicle and being a real estate salesman allows me and actually forces me to get out in the community and interact with people. That fits my personality perfectly.

Q: What are some of the amenities that add to a property’s value in your market?

A: Most of my business is over on Fresno’s east side. This part of town is not the most prestigious area in Fresno to live in, but there are some decent neighborhoods. With that being said Fresno Pacific University is located in East Fresno and I have noticed that properties that are relatively closer to the university add to its value. Another commodity in my area is new homes, which have the most up to date cooling and heating systems with the most energy efficient technology built into the home. People like to stay away from some of the harsh weather we get in Fresno.

Q: What are amenities that decrease property value?

A: Like I said earlier Fresno’s east side is not known as the best part the city and some neighborhoods are known for heavier gang activity than others. Properties in these areas that have higher crime indexes take a big hit in value. Also, older homes that are not up to date do not attract as man buyers. The foreclosures in a neighborhood are also another dig deterrent to buyers and decrease property value.

Q: What are some of the valuation techniques that you use when negotiating the purchase/sale of a property?

A: For the most part you have to watch the market. The sales comparison approach has been very helpful to me in my short career and this usually shows me a range at which I am going to do be advising my client to bargain at. Rarely have I used any other technique to do this (laughs).

Q: Do you feel as though in the current market people are getting the right value for purchases and sales in this country?

A: I feel as though every sale that is not mad under distress or out of a con the right value has been determined. If two grown individuals fairly negotiate the terms of a deal, then no one should feel as though the right value was not found. It should not matter what the economic conditions for the country are.

Q: What is your opinion of the future housing market in Fresno?

A: In my opinion I believe Fresno will soon be one of the nation’s most newly developing cities. The city of Fresno is making efforts to rebuild downtown and other areas around Fresno. This will create jobs, which will attract new people to Fresno. These people will of course need somewhere to live and that is where I come in (laughs). But Fresno’s stock is on the rise and many housing opportunities will come from this boom.

Allen: Thank you for your time
Curtis: No problem, my pleasure