Nick Ratliff’s Answer to the 10 Recommended Questions

RamseyTrusted’s 10 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent

As an ELP of the RamseyTrusted Progam, we thought it was only fitting to go ahead and answer the 10 Questions that Dave Ramsey recommends that you ask any Real Estate Agent or Realtor prior to deciding to work with them.

1. How long have you been a full-time real estate agent in my market?

I have been a real estate agent since 2004 and have run the Nick Ratliff Realty Team since 2010.  Prior to 2004, I worked in the electrical engineering field while completing my MBA from the University of Kentucky.  After post graduation, I chose to enter the real estate field over the finance field as I had anticipated.  

2. How many homes do you close each year?

My real estate team has averaged closing 105 properties a year for our clients since 2019.  Out of those, I, Nick Ratliff, will usually contribute around 35-40% of the team production on any given year.  The local MLS average for a typical agent is usually around 4 or 5 properties a year.

3. Who will be my primary point of contact?

I, Nick Ratliff, will be your primary point of contact.  I do have a team of agents that work with me to make sure that we can accommodate your needs.  Just like everyone else, we as real estate agents do have lives that include families, illness, and even hobbies.  We never want your home transition to be hampered because we have a time conflict.  For this reason, our team is dedicated to assist each other and come through like an actual team would in any field.

“With the right agent, taking on the house market can be easy”

4. What qualities or certifications set you apart from other agents?

A lot of agents take pride in the certifications that they have.  As a young agent, I set out to achieve many of these only to find out they were simply a class that I paid to take and completion of the class equaled certification.

I decided that did not fit my business as I would rarely learn anything new.  Since then I’ve committed myself to being surrounded by the industry leaders not only in our area, but the nation.  I have been blessed to learn from the top people in the real estate industry and call many of them friends. 

5. How will you help me sell and/or buy a home in a competitive market?

We have specific negotiation, contract, and marketing strategies that help guide our clients depending on their individual goals, typically based on what is most important to them: time, money or hassle. The time that I spend with top team leaders across the country often gives me insights to what’s coming before it hits the Lexington, Kentucky real estate market. Because of this, we are often first to market with many real estate practices. This experience of finding innovative solutions in competitive markets is something we discuss when we meet in person. This approach is constantly changing and depends on the market, plus our clients might lose their competitive advantage if we shared it on the internet!

6. What’s your commission fee?

Brokerage fees vary. Our expectation is that brokerage commissions are paid at closing, so there is no upfront cost. Whether you are a buyer, seller, or both, our goal is to optimize your bottom line at closing.

7. Do I have to sign a contract, and can I cancel without a penalty?

We do listing agreements with sellers and buyer brokerage agreements with buyers. The real estate industry has changed in 2024 requiring real estate agents to sign representation agreements before actually showing properties to clients, so that is a change some clients may not expect. Our team invest time and money in our clients and request their commitment to us is equal to our commitment to them. Our local owners are happy to discuss specific stipulations regarding options to cancel and are never closed to reasonable request.

The best way to know if we are a good fit is to simply Google Nick Ratliff Realty Team and read the words from past clients in our reviews across many channels, including Zillow, Google, Facebook, and more.

8. How will you communicate with me?

As a former engineer and a kid of the 80’s, I love technology, however we communicate however our clients prefer communicating. Our preferred method may not be yours, so we will ask you if you prefer a phone call, text or email for routine communication. When we are in the midst of important negotiations or need to reach a client right away, we generally use all forms of communication, unless asked not to.

9. What are your realistic expectations for house hunting in this market?

We use our knowledge of the local market and related strategies to help our clients understand how the market will influence their experience. Absorption rates, days on market, sales price to list price ratios, interest rates, and the economy in general will all impact the local market. The one thing I do tell people about Lexington, KY, don’t expect to back up to a horse farm unless you are willing to pay horse farm prices. That is often the dream so many people have when moving to Kentucky from out of state. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but when everyone wants it, it’s rare and/or expensive.

10. Who can I contact for a reference?

We are happy to provide you with a handful of clients that have gone thru a similar move as yourself. Just explain to us what your specific situation may be, and we’ll do our best to find someone who can tell their similar story. We also suggest using Google to research agents and teams. Reading reviews from others who have worked with us is a great way to hear about our work, in their words. The best sites to check out reviews are on Google, Zillow, Realtor, and Facebook.