Aida Younis is a Realtor/broker with RE/MAX Southwest working in Sugar Land.
Every week, we ask a Houston real estate professional for their thoughts on the top three stories from the week before. This week, we spoke with Aida Younis, a Realtor/broker with RE/MAX Southwest.
Houston Agent (HA): Realtors are constantly on the go, which means staying mobile has become more important than ever to running a successful real estate business. What technology do you use, if any, to help you stay connected and in the loop even when in the field?
Aida Younis (AY): My phone is the life of my business! I am able to receive emails, texts and phone calls wherever I am. It’s very much a mobile office and my client’s can reach me when they need to.
HA: As a top producer in Houston, and specifically in the Sugar Land and Fort Bend counties, what advice would you give to more rookie agents trying to reach that same level?
AY: I have been in real estate for over 30 years now. There are times when the market is good, and other times when the market is not so good. You must adapt to each market and to each client. Figure out what your client’s needs are and how to best serve them. And you must care! Always go that extra step. Your clients can tell when you actually care and when it’s just about earning a paycheck. They are trusting you with something very important to them – their homes! When you care about your clients, things just fall into place.
HA: You’ve been in real estate for more than three decades. What is the biggest difference in being a Realtor today as opposed to when you first started?
AY: Definitely the technology! Thirty years ago there was no Internet or cell phones. Computers were not very widely used. We had typewriters to prepare contracts as there were definitely not any electronic signatures. Clients went to a Realtor to find out what properties were on the market. There were no websites like HAR.com for a consumer to instantly do a home search. It was very important to keep other agents in the know about our listings, and also to be in the know about their listings. We used to advertise in local magazines and real estate books. As computers took off and the Internet went full speed, online advertising became increasingly important. Photography became crucial. Most of our buyer leads now come from the internet.