[Editor’s Note: HomeZada is sponsoring Geek Estate this month, and this is a sponsored post.]

Realtors often times state the importance of their role in helping consumers with their single largest financial transaction, the buying or selling of a home. But there is a long and important phase of the homeowner lifecycle that is sandwiched between the buying and the selling of the home, and that is managing the home when consumers own it which is typically between 6 to 9 years.

So what do agents provide their clients to help them manage their largest financial asset? Fridge magnets. A paper calendar. A drip campaign of other homes they just sold. A plant. A bottle of wine. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

Long term client loyalty problem

Based on the little value that many agents provide after the sale, it is no wonder that many surveys state agents have a difficult time building long term client loyalty. Many consumers state that agents they work with are only after the transaction. So does the profession of a real estate agent have to evolve from a transaction oriented sales person to more of a trusted advisor, a consultative position with the consumer? What if they called themselves a “home consultant?”

Many would argue that yes, agents need to evolve their services to provide more value. The ones who already have are probably the ones who are the million dollar producers growing their business. Individual agents are realizing that they can provide better service if they form teams with specialized skills on the buyers side, the listing side, and even managing the transaction.

Owning a home comes with responsibility

These are all great, but they still just focus on the buying or selling side of real estate. What do homeowners need to manage their home? One example that all homeowners need is a home maintenance schedule. Homeowners either don’t know or just plain forget the little monthly maintenance tasks that if they do not get done, make the home unsafe, unhealthy, and not operating efficiently.

All homeowners should also have a home inventory for insurance purposes. Many homeowners are under-insured because they don’t know the value of their contents, and they are unprepared for a claim due to a fire, burglary, or natural disaster.

Home improvement projects is another area that consumers need help in managing. Many new homeowners embark on these remodels project for the first time in their life, and then don’t know how to budget and plan for them. They end up over budget, frustrated, and not keeping good records that they will need at tax time or when they decide to sell in the future.

Home maintenance, home inventory and home remodels are all examples where agents can look to provide additional expertise in helping new homeowners manage their largest financial asset. These are real issues for consumers where they are looking for help in learning how to manage these. And a fridge magnet is just not going to cut it in providing real value in managing the home, which is people’s largest financial asset.

[Editor’s Note: HomeZada is sponsoring Geek Estate this month, and this is a sponsored post.]