Six Tips for Choosing a Real Estate Agent
Choosing the right Real Estate agent is one of the most important decisions a home buyer or seller can make. Before the home buying season begins to heat up this spring, here are some pointers for finding the agent that’s right for you.
Investigate the Neighborhoods
Become your own “Private Eye”, so to speak, and do the work to find out who dominates the market. If you’re a buyer, take a walk or a drive through the neighborhoods you want to live in and look closely at the number of For Sale signs. Does one Realtor, or company, dominate the market? How quickly do SOLD signs go up? Stop by a lot of Open Houses. Meet the agents. Do they give you their undivided attention? Are they professional?
Get Online
Break out the laptop and research the agents who seem to dominate the area. Check out their company websites. The absolute first search you should do is on Google or Yahoo. Simply type in their name and see what happens. Follow the links to learn more. Zillow is a good site for searching a specific locale and finding the agents with the highest ratings. A truly up-to-date Real Estate Agent will also have a Social Media presence, like a Facebook and/or LinkedIn profile. Of course, there are lots of great agents who do not even know what Facebook is, so don’t let their lack of Social Media presence scare you off.
Interview as Many Agents as You Can
Of course we all know that our time is extremely limited, and we certainly cannot spend extraordinary amounts of time interviewing agents. That said, it is imperative that you meet with any agent you are enticed by, before deciding to be contractually bound. You, the buyer or seller, are the customer. You have the right to know who you’re potentially going to be working with.
Determine the questions to ask… and ask them!
There are so many questions to ask that it can get overwhelming just thinking about it, but you need to be prepared. Come up with the questions that are most pertinent to you, and your situation. Some good examples are: How many deals did you close last year? How many of those were in the area I’m looking in? How do you market yourself? How will you market my home? And the best question of all: WHY did you get into Real Estate? Don’t be afraid to ask these questions, even if you’re good friends with the Realtor.
Set Expectations for Communication
Probably one of the biggest complaints that buyers and sellers have of Real Estate Agents is the lack of communication. Be sure to let them know up front how you want to be communicated to (email, phone, letter) and how often. Do you want your inbox filling up with every new listing in the area you’re looking? Maybe. You know what you want, and it’s important that you communicate effectively with the agent. Stephanie Gregory, a top-producing Realtor from Golden Hills Brokers in San Ramon, CA recommends, “…suggest that the buyer ask if they will be getting direct communication with the agent, or (will it be with) one of the team members. (Often times) the buyer will talk with them once, and from then on they get the admin assistant or one of the other ‘team’ members.”
Get a Referral From Someone You TRUST
Personally, I believe the best source of information for finding a good Realtor is asking those in your life, those you trust, who they might recommend. Of course, if you’re moving to the area from out of town, that’s going to be hard. But for those who are familiar with the area, ask around of people who you trust and find out who they would recommend, and who they used in the past.
There are so many great Realtors out there, but finding the one that’s right for you can be a challenge.
It’s important to remember, though, that regardless of whether you’re buying a home or selling your home, it’s an incredibly important decision that you want to make wisely.
Your Mortgage Advisor for life,
Todd
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