How do I Find a Good Realtor I Should Work With?
It's a common question - and perhaps not one always asked of THE Realtor - but definitely one discussed amongst the public! I just did a post - Is It Wrong to Work With More Then One Realtor? and one question begets another. It reminded me of a conversation I had recently.
I was working my mall shift at the Kiosk the other day ~ and chatting with a customer and she asked..."But How do I find the Good Realtor?".......And I thought to myself - the choice Must be confusing for people! If you don't have someone you know recommend one - and if you don't want to solely rely on the ads in the Real Estate Weekly what do you do?
Well I can tell you what you Don't Want to do! And that's choose on the basis of the Lowest Commission and Who Suggests the Highest Price for your home! But that's the subject of another post. This one is about what you Should Do!
Some people go for Experience - believing that is the KEY! And it could be - but brand new agents can be amazing as well. There's something about enthusiasm and thinking anything is possible - that can be pretty powerful!
I'm a big believer in Enthusiasm: When an agent shows excitement about your home it'll come through in every conversation whether it be on the phone - at an open house - or through their advertising! They'll be able to convince both Realtors and Customers to view the house but still make recommendations to show your home in it's best light!
Marketing has always been important ~ but these days a Web presence is critical! I believe one of the first things you should do is GOOGLE them. 
Google their name, their company and things like 'Your Town/Community Realtor' and see what comes up. Ask the Realtor if they BLOG, evaluate their Website (because of course they HAVE to have one)....Ask them to show you how they market other homes - that'll give you a pretty good clue! If you're not computer savy then ask a friend that is!
Find out where the Realtors advertise ~ Real Estate Newspapers have become passe in some communities so don't be surprised if they don't advertise in newspapers - but let them show you how they will market your property. In the same way Open Houses can be a good tool in some areas and yet not in others. So ask questions and ask why. Ultimately you want to get to the point where you trust the Realtor in their choice of marketing !
Communication: You want an agent that can tell you The Good, The Bad and the Ugly! A phone call after each showing is not too much to expect, nor is a monthly report outlining showings, ads placed, feedback, etc. You should be able to expect a return phone call within a few hours - but some Realtors don't work Weekends or evenings - so make sure you know what you can expect.
All that being said.......I find Intuition and 'Gut Feelings' can also be a powerful factor. You'll know if you feel uneasy about the potential association or if there's a mutual respect and camaraderie. My best advice? Research, Ask Questions And then go with your Gut Feeling!
If you or someone you know is thinking of Buying or Selling property in Cultus Lake, Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Langley or anywhere in the Fraser Valley Area of B.C. - or if you would like more information please give Liz Moras of Landmark Realty Chilliwack a call at- 604-799-0459 or e-mail at lizmoras@gmail.com.
Copyright © 2009 By Liz Moras, All Rights Reserved. All photos taken by Liz Moras and copywritten. Please do not use without permission. Information provided by this author is only an opinion, it is not guaranteed, may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive. It is not necessarily representative of the opinions of Landmark Realty Chwk. Ltd.
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