The most common mistake home buyers make is to believe that all realtors actually work for them. If you do not ensure that you have chosen the right realtor, you may easily lose thousands on your deal.
Here are some proven tips for hiring a good realtor
- Look for successful real estate agents. Often you would find that every neighborhood has a couple of real estate agents who have assisted in many more real estate deals compared to others. These realtors may charge higher but it is recommended that you approach them. Successful realtors generally have full page ads in local magazines showing numerous listings.
- Communication with your realtor is the key to buying great houses. Often realtors lose interest and accuse prospective buyers of un-professional behavior. If you feel that you need to look at more than a dozen homes before you can make up your mind, let the realtor know upfront. Some realtors are more patient than others.
- Make sure they have an accurate list house criteria you are looking for, and don't spring any surprises on them after you have seen 10 houses. Give them a written list of all your house buying criteria. Make sure your real estate agent knows every last detail of what type of house you are looking for.
- Look for realtor ads that are professional. Some realtors advertise themselves rather than their home listings. Avoid ads that have more than 25% allocated to unnecessary information such as the agent's photo.
- Ask the agent if his/her license is updated. Also inquire whether the realtor works part time or full time. It is highly recommended that you chose a full time realtor.
- A good practice to follow is to inquire about the training methods of realtors. Every realtor needs to stay updated with the real estate market. Also, try and analyze how good the realtor is with using the Internet. Since many consumers now use the Internet to locate homes, you better have an Internet savvy real estate agent.
- Home buyers should always ask their realtor if they will get them a printout of all the recent selling prices AND the original listing prices of homes in their targeted area, showing what the owners paid for them, how much they sold for, and full details on the homes. Realtors that refuse to disclose such information, or worst still, do not have access to this information are not professional.
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