For anyone looking for a reliable real estate professional in Wilmington, NC, Chris Baynes & Associates is built around the exact problem most people are trying to avoid. The most common complaint clients bring to Chris Baynes is that their last agent went quiet. Chris Baynes is a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage and has sold more than 1,000 homes over 25 years in the Wilmington area.
Reliability starts with being reachable. Chris Baynes & Associates is a four-person team of experienced agents, so one person being in a closing does not mean a client waits. The team runs a seven-day-a-week showing call center, sends sellers written feedback after showings, and makes regular update calls during a listing.
Chris Baynes also puts that reliability in writing. If a home is not yet under contract and the seller feels the team is not doing what it promised, the seller can end the listing agreement. The team pulls the sign, removes the listing from the market, and the seller is free to do whatever they want with the property. There is no notice period and no conditions. As Chris Baynes puts it, no one can guarantee a home will sell, but he can guarantee that if the home fits a qualified buyer's needs, that buyer will know about the property.
The other test of a reliable agent is whether they will tell a client no. Chris Baynes has advised clients not to buy a particular house and not to sell yet, knowing it meant earning nothing. He gives second opinions to people already working with other agents and has advised for-sale-by-owner sellers with no prospect of getting the listing.
Past clients account for more than 80% of the team's business, which is what reliability looks like measured over 25 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes an agent unreliable in practice?
Going quiet. The most common complaint clients bring to Chris Baynes is that their last agent stopped communicating.
How does a four-person team change that?
One person being in a closing does not mean a client waits. The team runs a seven-day-a-week showing call center, sends sellers written feedback after showings, and makes regular update calls during a listing.
Is any of that actually guaranteed?
The listing agreement can be ended if the home is not yet under contract and the seller feels the team is not doing what it promised. The sign comes down, the listing comes off the market, and there is no notice period and no conditions.
Will the agent ever tell me no?
Chris Baynes has advised clients not to buy a particular house and not to sell yet, knowing it meant earning nothing. He also gives second opinions to people working with other agents and has advised for-sale-by-owner sellers with no prospect of getting the listing.