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A lot of agents wonder what kind of car is best for a real estate agent. There’s a lot of choices available, so decided to think about what you should consider when choosing a car.
I started my career driving a small Saturn sedan. Sure, it wasn’t flashy or nearly as nice as the BMW’s and Jaguars in the parking lot – but it was reliable and it DID get good gas mileage. Sometimes, yes, I wished I had driven something nicer with even better gas mileage. Other times I wondered if having an SUV or a mini-van would have been more appropriate, since they are considerably larger and good people haulers. But knowing they get worse gas mileage (unless you want to pay more for a hybrid vehicle!) I never regretted not getting a larger vehicle.
All in all, I think the most important factors are reliability, cleanliness, safety, comfort and gas mileage. A car needs to seem professional at all times when with clients, and it also needs to be reliable: you would not want to be broken down somewhere when with clients! Safety is another important factor – when you are driving with someone else in your car, you are responsible for their safety as well!
So what do you think? What would you recommend as the best car for a real estate agent? A sedan like a Honda Civic? An gas guzzling SUV? Something different entirely? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
15 Comments
I think SUV’s are best however they don’t do well in high gas prices like now. So maybe a small luxury car ie: Acura TSX (which is what I have) or a Honda Accord make the most sense. It really comes down to personal preference and what you’re trying to do. A lot of agents get caught up in this question as if a car would get them business, it does help validate you do know something but that will be found out regardless getting business is the most important part new agents should focus on.
You may as well go for a Hummer, give the impression from the start!
Never mind the greenness or lack of it.
You hit the nail on the head, the most important thing is reliability and cleanliness. Unless you are in a high end niche market a lot of times having a fancy car can make your clients uncomfortable.
I say drive something practical and reliable that gets good gas mileage unless you work exclusively with very high end clients – then get a nice, expensive car. If you suddenly find yourself working with a very high end buyer, rent something.
I recently bought a two year old Ford Escape Hybrid. It is a SUV (not a huge one) and it has leather & a nav system. I got it for 18K and am very happy with it so far. It averages around 30mpg, 28 on the highway and a little better in the city. I figure that I am saving between 200-250 per month on gas.
Do you need a big vehicle? I have a large suv and I find myself needed the extra space less and less every month. The gas mileage sucks but now there are lots of good deals out there on some of the bigger vehicles.
I just saw on Yahoo news that there are 6 eco friendly cars faster than the Porsche 911… That is the best vehicle for a real estate agent!
I find that most people prefer to drive their own cars.
Sometimes its better to not have alot of talking time with the client. Also it could be a safety thing.
Right now I have a Toyota Avalon
it has leather and sun-roof.
My next car is just going to be a coupe.
I currently drive a Dodge Caravan. The gas mileage isn’t great, only 18mpg city, but it works well with my clients which are mostly families. One thing that has worked out great is it has a DVD system, it gives the kids something to keep them occupied while we drive from house to house.
I do agree that when working with higher end clients that a higher end vechile, say a BMW or Mercedes, would be a wise choice.
When we looked for a car a few years ago the main things we wanted were a navigation system and we wanted to be able to put the contracts in the glove compartment without having to fold them. We got a larger car with good gas mileage. But in retrospect we should have gotten a smaller car
Personally I prefer a mid-size SUV. I just like having the extra space and versatility. I know it’s not as “green” as I could be.
There was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal the other day, that showed although the gas mileage was better on the smaller cars, the insurance was typically higher, which offsets some of the savings. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122471188978360023.html
I think you should drive a nice vehicle that YOU like. My preference is my full size SUV. I don’t really worry about gas prices, they are what they are. If I need to get out in the country to show land I don’t have to worry about it.
I would think some people would have hard time gettimng in a suv. I know some older people do and even shorter people sometimes. I think a nice four door midsize or larger car would be good. Not sure how many people you drive around most drive themself.
My Saturn is pretty crappy at times. I wouldn’t call it reliable. If I could go back, and I’d probably invest in something more long term, such as a Honda or Toyota. Those things will run for years and years.
The 2010 Toyota Prius. It is the third generation Prius and I’m convinced Toyota has mastered the Green and Eco-friendly part of the Industry. It is a sharp contender with Honda but I personally think Toyota is nicer. They even have a hybrid Prius… but the standard gets about 51/48mpg! Its bigger, better and faster.