If you’re buying a home, choosing a real estate agent may be the most important decision you make. A good real estate agent can help you ensure that you are notified of homes that meet all of your criteria. A good agent will also answer your questions and guide you through the buying process, which is an invaluable service for first-time homebuyers. Despite all of this, most buyers choose their agent completely randomly, simply by striking up a relationship with the first real estate agent they come across. A much better strategy is to do some research to discover the agent who will actually help you find the perfect property. You can find the right professional:
1) Interview the candidates. It may seem like a lot of work, but comparing different real estate agents from different agencies can quickly show you which agents you respond to best and which seem to offer the best service. Interviews also allow you to assess experience, education, and other important factors in a good real estate agent.
2) Verification of qualifications and sales. Look for a real estate agent who has some experience and has been on the job long enough to have experience in the area. Ideally, you want someone who has worked as an agent for years in the same area and has an impressive sales history. In every community, you will usually find some agents who perform very well because they know what they are doing and are good at what they do. Look for these agents and make sure no complaints have been filed about them with the State Board of Realtors.
3) Alignment of personalities. Buying real estate is very emotional, so it’s important to find someone you’re compatible with. Look for a real estate agent that you can really communicate with. If your personalities don’t match, you may feel like your real estate agent isn’t doing enough for you, and your real estate agent may feel frustrated that you’re not making any offers. Find someone who registers a high level of comfort with you and you can avoid these problems.
4) Make sure your real estate agent is creative. Your agent will use the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to find homes, but they should also use their knowledge, contacts, and experience to find homes that fit your needs. You don’t want someone who can just do simplistic searches that you can do yourself from home.
5) Make sure your agent knows the area. A real estate agent who knows the area where you hope to buy can help you understand what is available and at what prices.
6) Check customer service before entering into a relationship. Real estate agents are busy people, but they should still be able to give you good service. Your phone calls should be returned, your concerns should be addressed, and you should be able to reach your real estate agent when you need to. If your agent uses an assistant, you should make sure that the real estate agent himself does all the work on the contracts, as well as the closing. That’s what you’re paying your real estate agent for. Stay away from agents who seem distracted, disorganized, and unable to interact with you personally. Your home buying experience may suffer with these types of agents.
The good news is that there are many excellent and highly-skilled real estate agents out there. Now that you know what to look for, you can look them up and get superlative help when it’s time to buy a property.
