It Pays To Be Choosy (Part I)

We'd like to start this blog by saying thank you to those of you who read and commented on our "Top Ten Realtor Myths" blog series. If you missed it, you can click here to visit Our Blog and check out the posts. Now, let's get down to business.

How do you choose your Realtor? How do you choose the person or persons who will represent you during one of the largest financial transactions of your life?

Make no mistake about it. Choosing the wrong Realtor can cost you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. It can make your life infinitely more stressful. The good news, however, is that choosing a great Realtor is fairly simple if you know where to look.

The best single place to begin your search for a Realtor is right in your own backyard. Take a drive through your neighborhood and note any "sale pending" or "sold signs". Write down the names of any agents who have multiple listings. If you cannot make a solid list from traveling your own neighborhood, visit the surrounding communities. Try to get at least 5 names.

Next, talk to your neighbors and any friends that live nearby. See if they have used a particularly good Realtor recently. Once you have added any recommended Realtors to your list, you are ready to start interviewing.

As you conduct the interview process, there are three basic guidelines you'll want to keep in mind. First, choose someone with relevant experience. Second, choose someone that listens to you. Third, choose someone you are comfortable with. Let's go in-depth with these guidelines one at a time.

First, and foremost, is the Realtor's relevant experience. By relevant, we mean experience selling in the same general geographic area, dealing with the same or a similar type of housing, and having made the sales in the last 6 months. If any one of these three criteria is missing, the Realtor will not be the best person for the job.

The second guideline for choosing the right Realtor is to find someone who listens to you. This might sound simple, but you'd be surprised how many stories we have heard of Realtors making a two or three hour listing presentation, during which the prospective client spoke a total of ten minutes. You should do the majority of the talking with the Realtor asking relevant questions and making notes.

Finally, you have to choose a Realtor you are comfortable with. If you get a bad feeling about an agent, or the person rubs you the wrong way, keep looking. You could be entering into a business relationship with that person for six months or more, so good rapport is key.

In the interest of keeping this blog a reasonable length, we've split it into a two-part series. Check back on Monday when we'll discuss how to apply the three guidelines and recommend some poignant questions to ask your prospective Realtors.

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