Are you looking to buy a home or investment property? Or do you want to sell your home?
No matter what objective you have, you must be looking for a real estate agent to get the job done. Right?
And finding a real estate agent is not a big deal.
You have the Internet to get an endless list of local brokers. Or you can rely on offline sources like the people you know or the newspaper. The point is here that you can find them easily.
Here comes the million dollar question—how to find the right one?
The real estate industry is dotted with professionals of all kind, all traits. Some of them are unresponsive, arrogant, inexperienced, unprofessional, shady and don’t listen. Some of them are knowledgeable, honest, motivated, and have an engaging personality and a vast network.
Obviously, you want to work with the second category. How can you find such real estate professionals?
Well, that’s shouldn’t be complicated. All you need to do is walk through the following ways to find the right real estate agent.
Ask Friends and Family Members for Referrals
Where should you start your hunt for the right real estate agent?
Well, you can ask your friends and family members for referrals. Your near and dear ones are likely to give honest assessments of their experience with a real estate agent. Or you can reach out to someone who has bought an investment property or sold a home via a real estate agent.
Should you choose them blindly just because your family or friends recommended them?
Sometimes your needs may be different so make sure you understand what exactly your near and dear one’s priorities were and what they liked about the agent.
Work with a Local Agent
A local real estate agent is aware of the best neighborhoods for buying property, prices, and many other small details of the area. They know where areas of growth are and have a better forecast of the overall value of a property based on its location.
Another benefit is that they will guide you through the process of buying and selling your home, including inspections, showings, paperwork, and closing requirements.
Choose a Full-Time Agent
Since the launching of HGTV, many people are becoming a real estate pro to get rich quickly, forgetting that it is a skill-based profession. Interestingly, many of them do it as their side job.
However, it is important to find a full-time agent. This is because a part-timer is not knowledgeable like a full time professional real estate agent.
For example, they may not provide the in-depth knowledge you’re looking for. On top of that, you may go through delays in communication and accessibility. After all, someone who is doing a different job or busy having a business meeting in another city is less likely to be available to talk to you when you really need them. Their unavailability can cost you a great deal.
Apart from being licensed, a full-time real estate agent should have credentials, business experience, and a track record of successful transactions.
Check Their License
Make sure your real estate agent is licensed. Generally, these professionals are licensed and regulated by your state’s regulatory authority.
For example, you can visit the Department of Business and Professional Regulation online to find out if the agent in Florida is licensed.
Since a licensed real estate agent is approved by the state, it will assure you of his credibility and professionalism.
Interview More Than One Agent
Well, it’s just like shopping around. And guess what? This is what most real estate experts recommend.
You should assess multiple real estate agents to choose the best one. Although it is a stressful process, it will benefit you in the long run.
Make sure to start by approaching real estate companies, rather than picking individual agents. When you interview multiple agents of the same agency, you know that they will bring different skill sets to the table despite having similar support and structures.
While interviewing them, ask them about the things given below…
- Their educational history, background, experience, and expertise
- Their recent sales in your area along with the lowest and highest prices in the last months
- Their knowledge about the region or targeted neighborhood
This way, you can learn about their professionalism and honesty as well. Plus, it can be a valuable learning experience for you, introducing you to realizations and conclusions you might not have otherwise thought about.
Put Your Communication and Comfort First
Given that buying or selling real estate is a huge financial decision in your life, it is important to find an agent who can understand your needs and with whom you feel comfortable to interact with.
Interviewing your prospective real estate agents will give you a chance to judge their communication style and skills. Communication is a vital thing as a real estate agent will assist you through all the steps.
In short, the rapport you have with your agent is crucial—it’s an indication of how you will communicate with them.
Contact Their Recent Clients
Ask your real estate agent to provide a list of their clients. A good agent shouldn’t hesitate to provide you the contact of his/her clients.
Call a few of them to know their reviews on the agent.
This is a better way to know the quality of their service than online reviews. Frankly speaking, not all online reviews are authentic. They may be either dropped by themselves or other people who do it for money or other favors. Similarly, bad reviews are also dropped for destroying the reputation of the rivals by some agents.
Bottom Line
So these are the tips to find the best real estate agent. An efficient real estate agent will navigate you through the entire process and help you get the best deal possible.
But these tips won’t get you the right real estate agent overnight. It can be overwhelming and stressful. However, one thing is for sure—you will end up with the right real estate agent down the road as you are focused on the right methods.
What do you think? Do you have some more tips to share on how to find the best real estate agent? Please drop your opinions in the comment box given below. Best of luck!!!
This article has been contributed by Tristan from Home Scout LLC.