Can you Choose a Good Real Estate Agent?
Yes, you can choose a good real estate agent, you just need a plan. It, is not an easy task to choose a good real estate agent. Especially, when it comes to choosing a person that will help you with such an important matter as Selling or Buying your Home. In this article, we will be talking about how to choose a good real estate agent or as they are sometimes called realtor.
What if you choose the wrong agent?
Start over and find the right one. Yes, even though you sign a contract, you can cancel. If your agent is not helping you in the way you want help, you can always find another one. I don’t easily advocate finding another one. Every agent puts in many hours helping their client with their real estate needs. Most likely sitting down and having a great discussion on expectations, and desires is usually the solution. I am sure at some point in a Real Estate agent’s career they thought of firing their client as well. Sometimes communicating is the best solution. If an agent is constantly showing you the wrong homes then they must not know what you are looking for. Rarely will you find an agent that will just keep showing you the wrong places unless they simply did not understand what you were looking for.
Helpful tips for choosing a real estate agent
Lots of helpful tips and recommendations are found online regarding how to find a good real estate agent. Here I summarized for you some of those recommendations to help you choose a good real estate agent or realtor. Before you start your home, buying or selling process and decide who you want to work with, it is recommend to interview at least three different agents. Also, they recommend to choose an agent that works for a reputable real estate company. The common thought is that those companies hire experienced and well-trained agents. In my opinion, it is not always the case. Yes, they hire agents; it is their training program that matters because many agents are brand new. Ask those agents about their experience in real estate, how active they are in business. You should ask if they work alone or are, they part of a team.
Pros and Cons for a good team
Here are some pros and cons on a team vs single agent: A team often has one person for each task; listing the house, setting up appointments, negotiating, setting up inspections, closing document review, walk through inspections, contract documentation, and sometimes even someone who’s task is to show houses. With a single agent you have a single point of contact who does all of the functions of getting you through buying or selling a home. Using a team you could end up having to explain what you want multiple times to more than one person. A single agent you communicate once to one person. If you notice above communication or MIS-communication is the biggest problem in buying or selling a home. With a team there should never be an issue with your agent being too busy. A single agent could be overworked if they have a lot of deals in the works. While many places recommend the agent, who is doing the most business as the “best”, a person doing less has more time to spend with just you.
Agent reviews
Check out the agent’s reviews and read what people say about them. A brand-new agent is not bad; not at all, so long as they are up front. What you need is an agent that listens to you (what you want and need), and knows where to find the answers. A new agent cannot become a broker; only an experienced agent can become a broker. So, in the end an agent works for a broker and it is the brokers responsibility to make sure the agent is doing a great job.
Here is how I would choose a real estate agent
When it comes to choosing a good real estate agent, I want to talk from my own personal perspective and experience. I am a Real Estate Broker now, but I also worked for a couple of quite big and reputable companies. As realtor and as a real estate agent. I also, bought and sold real estate before becoming an agent. I have purchased and sold, along with my husband real estate for investing and where we currently live while an agent. So, I am talking from the personal experience as an Agent, Buyer and a Seller.
3 Qualities to look for in a real estate agent
If I were to choose an agent to help me Buy or Sell a house these are the top three qualities that I would seek in that person:
1. Real Estate Knowledge. I would want my agent to be knowledgeable about the real estate market, the area where I want to buy or sell the house, knowledge of the real estate contract, real estate negotiations, home inspection and home inspectors, basic knowledge on real estate financing and the financiers, and investing in case I am doing that now or into the future.
2. Personal Integrity. Look for the person that will pass the knowledge on to you with integrity when it comes to real estate pricing, home inspections, contract negotiations. When it comes to making an important decision regarding your home or situation in real estate transactions you want to rely on agent’s expertise and honest advice.
3. Caring. Sometimes the real estate matters may get complicated, hard, and emotional. Your real estate agent needs to endure (all things coming your way) to the very end; keeping the client’s best interest at heart. This can only be done if you hire a real estate agent that care for the people they work for.
Market knowledge, honest advice and caring heart – this is what makes a great real estate agent.
Now it is time for you to find a real estate agent for your needs
Obviously, I hope you choose pink pearl real estate, but that is just not realistic because I am probably not the right agent for everyone; but I certainly could be for you. The top three qualities listed above are a great start; how do you asses that. Look at their website is it full of knowledge or just houses for sale. When you interview ask questions about the market and about neighborhoods. Based on state regulations there are some questions no real estate agent may answer, but they should be bale to point you in the right direction to FIND the answers.
Resources for finding agents
When it comes to integrity you can always go to two places; their website and look for their reviews. You can go to http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup/. There are many directory sites with agent listing but those sites require the agent to actually register and possibly advertise on the directory site. The state DPOR (linked above) also will let you know if there is any disciplinary action on that agent. Finally, how do you know they care. Talk to them about difficult home sales, see if they have had to stick to a client through the tough times. For example I can truly say I had one client who took a little over 13 months to find exactly what she wanted. Sure she found some she liked but hesitated and lost the house to someone faster with a contract. Yes, when you find what you like during certain times of the year they disappear as quickly as they appear. We at Pink Pearl Real Estate wish you the best of luck in finding the right agent for you.
It’s awesome that this article talked about the importance of finding a real estate agent that will be honest with you when it comes to all aspects of the home buying process. My wife and I are going to be moving closer to her parents soon, and we need help finding a good deal on a home. These tips you shared will help us find an agent that will help us find a good price on a house.
In a few months, my husband and I are looking to purchase a home, but we are unsure of what steps to take during the process in order to ensure that the real estate agent we select will be beneficial to the two of us. We are thankful that your article provides a checklist as to what qualities to look for in a real estate agent, such as their character and how compassionate they are overall. In order to make the right call, we will be sure to do further research before making any calls.
Pay the most attention to interview multiple real estate agents. Ask them to go over the pluses AND minuses to buying a home. If you are in the Virginia Beach area we would love to be your first.