Meet Bockenfeld & Associates Inc. REALTORS®
Most people do not realize how many hours of education it takes to become a real estate professional. Diana Bockenfeld, owner of Bockenfeld & Associates REALTORS® at 4531 Maine, needs an “alphabet soup” at the end of her name to display all her credentials.
Bockenfeld is an Accredited Buyer Representative (A.B.R.), which means that she has completed a special two-day training to help her work with buyers. She is a Certified Residential Specialist (C.R.S.) after completing 16-hours of training to help buyers and sellers jump-start their efforts. And, she worked 90 hours to complete three undergraduate college courses in the Graduate Real Estate Institute (G.R.I.), a feat accomplished by very few real estate agents in our area.
“There are always new strategies, new regulations, new marketing techniques in the real estate industry and I want to be—and I want the other agents in my office to be—as informed as possible to help our clients,” says Bockenfeld.
Bockenfeld started her career as an agent for a franchise company in 1985 before becoming a licensed real estate broker in 1998. In 2005, she ventured out on her own.
“I got started in this business because my husband is a home builder, and we thought it would be a nice match. He would build the houses; I would sell them,” she remembers. “Residential homes have always been my primary emphasis, but I have also worked with companies to find commercial properties and land.
When Bockenfeld lists a property, she provides a full market analysis to suggest to the seller what comparable homes are selling for in this market.
“I then visit the home and make suggestions for upgrades that can help their property sell at a higher price or in a shorter timeframe. Cleaning the carpets, de-cluttering to make rooms look larger, fresh paint and eliminating pet smells are at the top of the list. Also, you cannot underestimate the power of curb appeal. A nice front entryway, well-maintained shrubs and even a few flowers go a long way to attract the attention of potential buyers as they drive by.”
When the property is ready, Bockenfeld takes photos to post on her website.
“These days, we get a lot of leads off the Internet,” she says, noting that her website can be found not only through the Chamber’s website, but also through the Quincy Association of REALTORS® and REALTOR.com.
“We post virtual tours on our website to get the sellers’ home as much visibility as possible,” she says. “We have quite a few people interested in relocating to Quincy. Many are young or middle-age couples with children. They like our parks, community activities, golf outlets. I’m a life-long Quincy resident, so it’s not hard to sell my hometown.”
Bockenfeld works with relocation companies who are working to bring an executive to town or help an executive move to a different community.
Bockenfeld has 28 plaques on the wall in her office (and many more in a drawer somewhere), all sales production awards from the Illinois Association of REALTORS®. She and her real estate agents can help you find property in both Illinois and Missouri. She says that, with interest rates still so low, now is a good time to consider buying a home.
Call Bockenfeld at 217-228-1000, visit www.bockenfeldandassociates.com or stop by the office at 4531 Maine during regular business hours.
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