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  • Scott Westfall

What are Real Estate Consultants? (and how can they help me?)

Updated: Nov 14, 2023

By Scott Westfall | CGP Real Estate Consulting

A real estate professional shaking hands with client inside naturally lit home with modern decor.
Real Estate Consultant shaking hands with clients after purchasing a home.

You most likely have heard of a real estate agent and a financial consultant, but what about a real estate consultant? Real estate consulting is a relatively new role in the industry, but it is revolutionizing real estate for wise and forward-thinking clients like you.


At CGP, we define a real estate consultant as an expert in real estate in a particular location who works as an adviser either to a company or to an individual. Quality residential real estate consultants have the credentials of licensed real estate agents, yet they go above and beyond by looking at clients’ real estate objectives—whether renting, buying, selling, or investing—through the lens of long-term investment and wealth building.


How is working with a real estate consultant different than working with a real estate broker or real estate agent?


Real Estate Consultants Aren’t Salespeople


With major financial implications on the line, trust is a key factor in deciding what kind of real estate professional to work with. Real estate consultants remove the pressure of hidden agendas and conflicts of interest. Rather than focusing on a single transaction, a real estate consultant provides a holistic and transparent approach to your specific situation to offer creative and responsible solutions.


Real estate consultants provide:

  • Personal consideration: Each real estate decision is unique and can result in a variety of outcomes. Consultants consider the details of your situation to ensure you the best possible results.

  • Knowledge and skill: Consultants know how money is made and lost in the real estate industry, and their success is your success. Like a financial advisor for real estate, they help you to understand the potential results of your decisions before you make them.

  • Goal-focused solutions: Real estate consultants work alongside you to mitigate risk in real estate decisions and protect your bottom line. Your objectives drive the solutions.

  • Flexibility: It’s not always feasible for you to pay a 3-6% commission to sell your home. Consultants provide flexible ways to pay for their services.

Real Estate with Relationship


In the average agent/client real estate collaboration, both parties have very clear objectives. The client wants to buy a house, and the real estate agent wants to be the one to help them find and purchase a house. They can make a mutually beneficial team: after all, their goals seem to be well enough aligned.


However, the motivations for those goals can be conflicting. Working on commission means that a real estate agent’s bottom line might not be your bottom line, which also means you might miss out on maximizing your investment.


Relationships matter to real estate consultants. They make an investment in your long-term motivations and objectives. Rather than a business transaction, they look to establish a relationship with you by considering your:

  • Short-term objectives: What matters most to you—saving the most money? Increasing monthly cash flow? Learning about the BRRRR strategy? Selling your home quickly? Pursuing continual investment opportunities? As holistic experts, real estate consultants provide thorough analysis and a variety of outcomes.

  • Long-term objectives: To build wealth over time through your real estate investments, a relationship with a real estate consultant is key. Consultants can help you understand the intricacies of the market and your investments as you pursue the right opportunities for you.

  • The reality of the local market: The real estate industry is hyper-localized, requiring a local expert with diverse experience to assist you in making informed decisions for long-term gain. Real estate consultants aren’t afraid to advise you to wait if the market isn’t right for your investment.

Working with CGP Real Estate Consulting


Individuals and companies nationwide rely on the team at CGP Real Estate Consulting to identify, develop, and execute investment strategies in the single-family and multifamily housing industry in Virginia Beach. CGP works alongside you to:


Buy, sell, and rent properties:

  • Identify the best use of a property and investment to align with your goals

  • Discover and purchase personal homes or investment properties such as vacation rentals, multi-family homes, short-term rental facilities, winter rentals, and even home-sharing properties like Airbnb or VRBO

  • Facilitate work on your properties to prepare them for renting or selling

  • Analyze the feasibility of converting your property to a short-term rental before renovating and furnishing

Educate you on markets and trends:

  • Provide an understanding of the local Virginia Beach market and macro trends

  • Guide you as local experts with extensive knowledge, experience, and networks

  • Anticipate and share changes in real estate market conditions

  • Identify the right property manager to meet your goals

Assess the risk vs. return profile of properties:

  • Assess a potential property or portfolio for unforeseen risk before purchase

  • Analyze inspections, current leases, and ownership and tax history before purchase

  • Test the feasibility of your investment by projecting potential income and expenses based on comparative market data

  • Provide you with unbiased information through a trusted and timely analysis

Provide flexible services and rates to:

  • Develop a marketing strategy for rental and sale by owner properties

  • Prepare easy-to-read historical financials for marketing purposes

  • Review your leases and/or management agreements

  • Assess your current rental property for lost income and expense management


THE BOTTOM LINE:

Real estate consultants at CGP Real Estate Consulting are the experts in residential real estate sales, marketing, and management in Virginia Beach and the surrounding Hampton Roads areas of Norfolk and Chesapeake. Consultants at CGP are licensed Realtors® with Anchor Realty in Virginia Beach.


To work with our team, contact us at (757) 375-4550 or through our website.


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