JAY — A realtor and a code enforcement officer have at least one thing in common: They must wear many hats.

Kathleen Szostek of The Maine Real Estate Network and Livermore Falls Code Enforcement Officer James Butler spoke about their jobs during the May 1 Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls Chamber of Commerce meeting at LaFleur’s Restaurant in Jay. Szostek gave her presentation on how to choose a real estate agent if you’re looking to sell your home.

“You want someone who listens more than they talk,” she said. “Someone you trust. But, you need something more than that. Someone with an artistic flair.”

Szostek did in fact demonstrate her artistic flair by putting on a series of hats, symbolizing the different roles a realtor must play. She noted that it’s important for sellers to choose someone who has a firm grasp of technology and how to use the Internet. The realtor must be willing to respond immediately with information when a customer calls.

Photos of a home’s rooms are also crucial, said Szostek, and they must have descriptive captions on them.

“Sometimes you’ll see a room with a lot of cupboards and a cookstove and it says ‘kitchen’. That drives me nuts,” she said. “If you have a poor presentation and it goes over everywhere, it doesn’t do you a bit of good.”

She urged people to get a realtor who is picky and pays close attention to detail. Filling out a seller’s disclosure completely limits your liability, she said. If buyers don’t know certain information, “it makes them suspicious of your home,” said Szostek.

Writing an offer or negotiating after a building inspection is also important. However, that’s not enough, said Szostek. An agent must also be like a good poker player, who won’t flinch if they’re challenged by another agent, and who knows pricing.

The biggest mistake sellers make, she said, is not knowing what their online presentation looks like. How a home is presented online is important in determining how quickly it sells.

Butler explained his code enforcement job, which he has done in Livermore Falls part-time for five years. He is also a code enforcement officer and inspector in Scarborough. Butler said that in Livermore Falls, building permits are required to construct a new house, and for expansions of more than 200 square feet.

“If you don’t have that permit, we can fine you,” he said.

An electrical notification permit is also needed, and there is a state-mandated fee for plumbing permits. New businesses need to file a site plan review application with the code enforcement officer. Building permits require information about the owner, a drawing of the layout, and information about where utilities will be located.

A plumbing permit is needed for additional or new plumbing.

“In Livermore Falls, we kind of respond to complaints,” said Butler. “We don’t have an active inspection program, but we do have a process in place to respond to complaints and when they come up, we respond to them appropriately.”

The state uses a combination of international building codes as part of the state code. The Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC) is the minimum requirement for new homes.

“It’s good to get the information out in the beginning, so people know the requirements,” said Butler. “When in doubt, call and ask.”

When you hold a builder accountable, “you’re getting a superior product because you know it’s going to be built correctly,” he said.

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