There is a bunch more than just having a Realtor open the front door for you and writing up a contract on the home you decide to buy. Your home is probably going to be the most important financial decision you make for the next five to 10 years! I have been a Realtor in Boise, Idaho for 20 years and have learned that most consumers don't have a clue how to hire a Realtor. In Boise, Idaho; there are almost 3,000 Realtors in Ada County who are "independent contractors" trying to differentiate themselves and yet, unfortunately, most buyers go with the first Realtor they meet. (probably because we are trained to be nice in public).
You should consider the psychology and the business side of the sale as well. You should think about your specific areas you need the most help with as a buyer. Each buyer's needs is different so I suggest doing a SWOT analysis if you are a serious buyer. That stands for reviewing your Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats.
You should choose a Realtor that will:
1) use your "Strengths" (perhaps that you are comfortable using online tools and resources, who they use for home inspectors, lenders, title companies, home repairs, maintenance, etc.);
2) strengthen your Weaknesses (maybe via first time home buyer education, finance explanations, local school knowledge, etc.);
3) focus on Opportunities (look at long term benefits for you when comparing properties like potential resale characteristics, potential future zoning changes, remodel ideas, investment potential, etc.);
4) point out threats (short sales, annexation paths, outdated furnaces, windows, poor roofing, potential of water in crawl spaces/mold, reasons a home may be tough to sell down the road, etc. I think it is important to select a Realtor that is willing to tell you potential negatives of a property instead of just selling the positives. For example, even though you may not care about high tension power lines running over a home, the next person might.
Communication is also a huge factor in selecting an agent. How do you want to communicate (in person, via email, text, Facebook, Twitter, or via phone calls). This is the new "language barrier" of today because not all people use social media the same way.
Religion/Lifestyle considerations. I have lived in many different countries and in many different cultures and recognize and accept (even if I don't embrace) vast differences among my fellow humans on this planet. They say you shouldn't discuss religion, but sometimes that is critical. For example, if a buyer is LDS (Mormon) and doesn't transact business on Sundays, they may not be well served working with someone that is a Seventh Day Adventist that doesn't do business from Sundown Friday till Sundown Saturday! I recall selling a about 15 years ago to my first "pair" of women who were hesitant to explain their partnership to me. When we closed, they asked me how I liked working with two women and I replied, great - send me two more!
Many people interview several Realtors when they are looking to sell their home, but you should also be interviewing Realtors before you buy the home! Helping you get into the right home to start with will make it much easier to sell it in 5 - 10 years since it is too late to hear the excuses of why it isn't as marketable then!
My motto is "If you had all the answers, I would be unemployed"! Feel free to call me with any real estate related questions. Like many attorney's and CPA's, my first appointment is always free, confidential and without obligation on your end! I hope to earn your business and show you why I am uniquely different amoung the 3,000 Realtors in the Boise Idaho area.
I hope you see that there is a lot more to finding the right Realtor than just using the listing agent. However, if the listing agent still meets your criteria after you have done your needs assessment, use them! I sell many of my own listings because I am not afraid of dual agency. 100% of my sellers agree to it since they recognize that if they don't I will have to send that buyer off to another Realtor or off to another property instead of working with them to help negotiate a successful closing!
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