Life is all about making choices and diving into the real estate world (either buying or selling) is one where you don’t want to hire any old agent. You’ll want to take your time and sift through the many realtors you’ll find online.
Here are a few tips to find the perfect realtor
1. Know what you want
Ladies and gents, 97% of real estate agents say it’s a seller’s market and it’s extremely competitive. You need to have a clear idea of what you want, not only in terms of what kind of house you want, but what kind of realtor you’d like to work with.
Do you want an agent who prefers to meet face-to-face for all communications or is text and email okay? Do you want an agent who cares about your lifestyle and preferences when making decisions or do you want to be hands on?
2. Listen to your gut
You know how they say listen to your intuition because it’ll never steer you wrong? This is particularly true when you are interviewing agents. You don’t want to ignore your gut feeling just because the agent has stellar reviews. Sure, they may be top-notch agents, but if they rub you the wrong way or makes you feel like a burden… Don’t be afraid to look for another agent elsewhere.
3. Embrace technology
In the past, people would call a phone number they see on a sign outside of a house, browse the phone book, or just walk into a real estate office to find an agent. However, the internet is a great source to find agents. You can read reviews from previous clients, check out the agent’s credentials, and so much more.
4. Do research
Although you can find a bunch of information online about local realtor, that shouldn’t be the only tool that you use. You’ll want to do a little extra research and ask people in your social circle for their recommendations. If you don’t know anyone who’s bought or sold property recently, you could use local Facebook groups, local message boards, and other social media outlets for recommendations and testimonials.
5. Interview agents
You’re going to spend a lot of money when buying a house, so you’re going to want to make sure you’re working with someone who knows their stuff. Since this is a big decision, you’ll want to take the time to actually interview the agent. You’ll want to ask about their background, their specialties, marketing strategies, list of references and so on.
6. Ask about connections
Along with references, you should ask the prospect agent about their professional connections. A top-selling agent should have a list of qualified contractors, inspectors, appraisers, lenders, etc. You’ll want to work with agents who are well connected with professionals that you may need throughout the homebuying process.
7. Evaluate skills
After interviewing agents, you’ll want to go over the agent’s skill set. This means you’ll want to consider their reputation among the community, how well they know the area, and whether or not they’ve worked with clients like you.
8. Choose your agent
Trying to find a top-rated real estate agent may feel like you’re looking for a needle in a haystack. This is a huge decision and working with the wrong realtor could be a huge mistake that could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars – not to mention the whole homebuying process could be a lot more stressful than need be.
