03/24/2026
-HIRE WISELY-
- RIGHT NOW there is a real estate agent out there telling people that this is a reasonable map of the state of Missouri.. meanwhile it is made by artificial intelligence, has the roadways incorrect, and some of the cities incorrect and of course, and misses a lot of of the topography and geography of the state (edited to add clarity, this is not OUR map at OER, we did not create it)
- Right now there is a First time homebuyer who is at the closing table of their first home purchase and is figuring out that their agent really wasn’t going to show up (just like they didn’t show up for the inspection and they didn’t know anything about the appraisal)
-RIGHT NOW there is a first time home seller who is struggling with understanding the numbers and is somehow under the impression that they will have $10,000 in closing costs on their $200k sale- their agent has not explained the parts of the process that would cover that base and hasn’t given the client any understanding of the pathways to answer those questions. The agent literally told them they needed to call their banker from when they bought the house to find out how much they’re selling side closing costs would be (true story)
- RIGHT NOW THERES CONSUMERS OUT THERE STRUGGLING- they are trying to buy a house, they are trying to understand the process, they are trying to do it the right way and NO ONE is helping them. Even the people they thought they hired don’t seem to be actually assisting them, but rather just pushing them to sign things and move forward without explaining anything in a digital signature world where everything is on a tiny phone screen 
- RIGHT NOW a guy who has been trying to buy home for five years and has not hired a buyers agent has a showing scheduled on a house that does not qualify for his loan type. His “agent” is ONLY assigned to him because he clicked a button online and that agent paid the most to “help“. Instead of helping that agent just set an appointment and left the client confused about the process. Imagine how disappointed that client was when they called me to confirm their appointment only to find out that they don’t qualify for the loan type that this particular house requires- something that is clearly advertised in the agent network.
RIGHT NOW AGENTS AREN’T DOING THEIR WHOLE JOBS and RIGHT NOW the best thing to do about that, as a consumer, is to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS and INTERVIEW professionals to assist you with this process.
IF YOU WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE, YOU WOULD FIND THAT THERE ARE AGENTS OUT THERE-
- RIGHT NOW there are professional real estate agents sitting down in front of a big screen in their office with the client to go over the 11 page contract in detail because they would want the same done for them and because it’s the best way for the consumer to understand all the steps they are getting ready to go through in this process

- RIGHT NOW there are problem solver agents who are actively loading their first time homebuyer clients belongings up into a U-Haul and assisting them with the transition because they didn’t really realize how much work it was gonna be and they didn’t have as much help lined out as they thought they did and the deadline is HERE.
RIGHT NOW- there are agents out there that are interviewing on each job before quoting a price because they understand that all jobs are different and not all jobs require whatever you might think the “going rate“ is. Right now agents are offering amazing value for AMAZING work.
- RIGHT NOW those agents are out there pushing and pulling and searching for ways to make things work, reevaluating deals and getting reconsideration of market value, and finding other ways to put the deals together
- RIGHT NOW there are highly skilled professionals out there doing the work and all you have to do is reach out to them and interview them. Don’t click buttons on the Internet until the highest paying actors call you, instead seek out someone that you can trust that operates the way that yoCricket Staggs, Realtor with Ozark Empire RealtyReKeith Russell- Realtor with Ozark Empire RealtyrDylan Wetherington, Realtor with Ozark Empire Realty make a plan that suits your goals and execute that plan flawlessly
Not all agents are created equal, you should get what you pay for in this industry. If you’d like some real time, examples of what that means, we are always up for a chat. 
Cricket Staggs, Realtor with Ozark Empire Realty
Keith Russell- Realtor with Ozark Empire Realty
Dylan Wetherington, Realtor with Ozark Empire Realty

(Photo for effect- look how much of Missouri they missed!)
