Interview a real estate agent?  Why?  Aren't they all the same?

You are the employer and the real estate agent is your employee.  You are hiring the agent to help you with your real estate needs.

As an employer, would you hire an employee just by looking at their resume?  Of course not!  You would want to interview the person before making a decision.  Why would it be any different with a real estate agent?  Don't real estate agents work for you to take care of your real estate needs?

When hiring a real estate agent, qualifications are important.  However, to find a solid professional agent, you need to go beyond the resume, and into what makes an agent effective.

Here are 8 important questions to ask your agent:

1.    Why did you become a real estate agent?

2.    Why should I work with you?

3.    What do you do better than other real estate agents?

4.    What process will you use to help find me the right home for my particular wants and needs?

5.    What are the most common things that go wrong in a transaction and how would you handle them?

6.    What are some mistakes that you think people make when buyint their first home?

7.    What other professionals do you suggest we work with and what are their credentials?

8.    Can you provide me with references or testimonials from past clients?

The next time you meet with a real estate agent about selling and/or buying a home, remember that you are the employer and you are interviewing agents to see who would be best for the job.  Buying and/or selling a home is an important and huge investment of your life.  Hire an agent that you feel will get the job done and done right.