Karen LaPlant, right, with two clients.
LaPlant works to make buying a home enjoyable
Home buying should not be stressful, Realtor Karen LaPlant said.
“It is a serious process, but it should be fun,” she said.
LaPlant, 61, has been a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty – Gundaker Metro South in Festus for the last 17 years. She said one way she tries to relieve clients’ stress is by looking for potential problem areas they may not see in a home.
“With first-time home buyers, they are looking at pretty.” LaPlant said. “Pretty can be fixed. There are visual things I can see in the structure that they need to be aware of. Those are things they will not see because they haven’t been trained.
“When you just look at pretty, you can find yourself in a mess. You need to look at important things like a good roof, good septic, just good bones.”
LaPlant said she prides herself on always being honest with clients and explaining every step of the buying or selling process.
“I am always open for questions,” she said. “My clients need to know I work for them. They don’t work for me. Clients are never a bother. The only silly question is the question you didn’t ask. If I don’t have the answer, I will get it. I will not fabricate an answer.”
LaPlant also wants people interested in entering the real estate industry to contact her, so she can set up a meeting with her broker.
“I truly believe I have the best broker there is,” she said. “Bringing on new people is always an asset.”
LaPlant said she represents clients in Jefferson County, in the St. Louis metro area, St. Francois County and Ste. Genevieve County.
She can be reached at 314-852-2850 or by email at karen.laplant@cbgundaker.com.