Pat Kapowich's Career-Long Agent Finder Process

 A superb Realtor® is a massive asset, and I have found Realtors® for relocating clients in just days.

Here are the proven steps I take to finding the best Realtors® out there:

Step 1: Find the most qualified Realtor® candidates in a specific geographical area.

On day one, I research accredited Realtors®. I start by going through databases seeking Realtors® who have earned professional designations.

My two goals re simple:

• Find Realtors® who have optional real estate training.
• Read the professional profiles of each potential Realtor® candidate.

Step 2: Study the online presence of each Realtor® candidate.

By day two, I have narrowed the list of top candidates. Still, there is more to do to ensure a successful Realtor® referral.

I begin contacting each Realtor® candidate by:

• Sending an email introduction.
• Calling and leaving a message.
• Initiating a telephone interview.

Step 3: Interviews with Realtor® candidate.

During the interview, I decide to have all their online profiles on my computer screen.

The Realtor® referral system I created for myself is simple:

• Be present for each referral interview.
• Learn all about each Realtor® candidate's standard of care.
• Understand their schedules and procedures.
• Confirm Realtor® candidates can help the referred clients based on their wants and needs.

Step 4: The compounding research begins to unfold.

Every morning, I will compile Realtor® candidate conversations, and after a few reviews, I notice the Realtor® candidates who:

• Promptly responded to my inquiries.
• Are eager to help.
• Would not delegate the referred relocating client to a licensed assistant.
• Is not on vacation during the referred client's relocation.

Step 5: The Referral

• By day three or four, I have all the information to make my recommendation for referred Realtor® candidate(s).
• This is how I reach confidence in referring the best fit of a Realtor® candidate to clients buying or selling property throughout America.

If you need a top-notch Realtor® candidate, trust that my system will work for you, too.

 Realtor Pat Kapowich, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES
Certified Residential Real Estate Brokerage Manager 

Office Landline (408) 245-7700  
[email protected] 
Broker license 00979413

Letter of Appreciation from Seller Gary Marsh

“A little more than a year after Pat knocked it out of the park and sold my Marin County home of 20 years for $215,000 over the asking price ($2.1M), he facilitated the sale of my parents’ home in Orange County, CA, yet this time by referring me to a local agent. When my father passed away in August, it was time to sell the family home of 54 years, where my sisters and I grew up—in Tustin. The house was a tract home built in the mid-1960s, where orange groves used to be, and my parents were first-time homebuyers after my father retired from a 20+ career in the military. They had to stretch to come up with the down payment and qualify for the mortgage. So, they bought the 4-bedroom, two-bath home for $29,950!

While both of my sisters are still in Southern California, they have not bought or sold homes in so long that they are not connected to the real estate community, so I asked Pat to identify some candidates for me and my sisters to interview the day after the funeral. Pat found and vetted three highly qualified realtors, shared their information with me, and set appointments to meet the agents. It was all very efficient. We selected a former CPA turned realtor—Cindy Koval, with North Hills Realty, based in Tustin. We quickly learned that real estate is practiced differently in Southern California (compared with Northern Cal), and agents typically only perform minimal disclosures. In contrast, real estate sales in Pat Kapowich’s world are made with full disclosures—for everything.

Leave nothing to chance and no stone unturned to avoid problems during and especially after the sale. One can imagine a 54-year-old home. Even though my father kept the house in tip-top shape in his younger years, but as he got into his 90s, he let a few things go. First, we had to repair the swimming pool and replace almost all the equipment. The chimney was about to collapse, so we rebuilt that. When we had a plumber turn the water back on in the second-story bathroom, a pipe burst from years of not-being in service and leaked all over the dining room ceiling on the house’s first floor. One of my sisters, the trustee of our father’s estate, was already getting frustrated with the expenses that were adding up. The plumbing leak was nearly the final straw for her until the industrial house cleaning team we hired to clean the house finished cleaning the first-floor bathroom, and water subsequently backed up on the floor. A few days later, after several efforts to clear the sewer pipe exiting the house, the decision had to be made to replace the entire sewer lateral from the house to the street—a $25,000 repair ticket.

When all was said and done, we spent a little more than $50,000 to prepare the house for sale. Originally, we had set a target price of $748,000 to list, but after all the repairs, we were aggressive and bumped the asking price to $788,000, which was well above a comparable sale of the same model home a year earlier. Yet, this was the year of Covid-19, and homes were hot! Even so, it was an aggressive asking price. We received multiple offers over $800,000 but settled on a buyer that appeared more qualified to close—and we were correct. We agreed to cover the $5,000 termite damage repair cost in exchange for a sale price of $798,000, or $5,000 net above our asking price. Pat Kapowich was instrumental in coaching our local agent into organizing a full disclosure package associated with the sale, ultimately contributing to a challenging yet highly successful real estate transaction, particularly under the circumstances.”

Gary Marsh

Real Estate Consultant, Investor & Developer

Santa Rosa, CA

Questions? Or are you or someone you know navigating life’s transitions? Let lauded negotiator Pat Kapowich make your next move easy. Visit Kapowich’s website for free area housing data, insights and trends. Or put his artful blend of specialized credentials, decades of experience and endorsed skill set to work for you. Kapowich instills confidence when buying, selling, relocating or resizing homes. Do not just make a move — make the best move. Contact him today, Realtor Pat Kapowich, a career-long consumer-protection advocate.