Educational Video Series: How to Select a Buyer's Agent

You have made the decision to buy a home and would like to employ the use of a real estate agent to represent your interests. What exactly should you be looking for? In this video we offer tips to help buyers select the right buyers agent: 1) Find out if the agent charges any retainer fee. A buyer’s agent commission is paid by the seller but sometimes agent will also charge a fee that or may not be refunded at settlement. 2) Get referrals from others and review all the testimonials the agent can provide. 3) Remember that you are looking for a professional. Just like you don’t trust your health to someone who is not a specialist in his/her field, selecting a real estate should be the same. You are looking for an expert that knows the local market, that has strong negotiation skills and that can communicate effectively with you in a timely manner. We often encourage our buyers to review the agent’s website because it truly is a reflection of who that agent is. Is the website attractive, detailed, current, professional? Does the site offer educational material to buyers and sellers and does it have a comprehensive home search tool showing you homes that meet your criteria currently on the market ? One of the more unconventional recommendations we make to buyers is they should ask to see the marketing materials that agent provide when listing a home for sale. Brochures, custom web sites and open house marketing strategies all reflect the agent’s attention to detail . That same detailed focus is equally important when representing you as a buyer. For more tips and details feel free to watch the video in its entirety here on the blog, or you can see this and rest of our home buyer educational video series on our website, www,EquityRise.com