Last week there was a good article posted at TheStreet.com entitlted "How To Pick the Best Real Estate Agent for You".  This article brings  up some good points and is well worth the read, so I wanted to share it with my readers.

In addition to the main points of the article, most of which I agree with, I would like to add a few more things to look for when picking a Davis real estate agent.

• First, you want a Realtor that is successful, and has enough experience to know what they are doing, but not so successful that you become just another one of dozens of clients they are working with. You want your home to be the Realtors top priority, after all this is your home you are buying (or selling). This is a big deal, maybe the biggest. "Top Producer" should not mean "Too Busy To Give You My Full Attention".

 

• Make sure the Realtor you choose has an internet presence; 80% of home buyers use the internet as part of the home search. So, if you are a buyer, a web savvy agent will be able to use all the latest technologies to help you find the right house for you. They will also have a website that includes an easy to use home search function that lets you and the Realtor keep up to date with new home listings.

                                                                                 

If you are selling your home, a Realtor with an internet presence is even more important. A Realtors job is to expose your home to as many potential buyers as possible. They should feature your home on their website so that visitors can quicly get the details and find pictures of your home.

In the 21st Century, a Realtor without a web presence just can't do that job. So before deciding on a Realtor to list your house, check out their website. Can you find it on Google and Yahoo easily? If you can't, how is a buyer going to?

• Ask Realtors you interview how their site ranks in the search engines and how many visitors their site gets each month. If they don't know the answers to these questions, how effective will they be marketing your home to people using the internet in their home search?

• Check with the Realtor, or their Broker, to get references from past clients. My Broker has customers fill out a "Satisfaction Survey" when each home is sold. Ask to see these.

• Communication between the Realtor and the client is the key to a smooth transaction. Ask your prospective Realtor how they would normally communicate with a client. How often? In what way? The answers you get will tell you if you and the Realtor have the same expectation.

 

Choosing a Realtor can be a challenge. But don't leave the purchase or sale of your home in the hands of someone you recently met at a cocktail party. Take the time to talk to, and find, the right Agent for you.

Do you have anything to add to the article linked to above? Any thoughts on what makes a good Realtor?

I'd love to hear your thoughts, just click on the comments section below and add your own.

 

-Vicki