How Do I Find A Good Real-Estate Agent?
In the age of the internet so much is done electronically. I wanted to meet my real-estate agent. This will be one of the most important decisions in my life to buy a home, I want to get it right. I asked my friends, each one of them have a different reason for wanting to reuse their agent, again. I heard things like my mothers cousin just got in the business. Or this guy was helpful but, he has a full time job. He was hard to reach. I want an agent that depends on return business. I want this agent to have more references then he is the cousin of somebodies mother. So I decided I had to do it myself. I had to find the agent I was comfortable with. To be the best fit for me.
All relator’s are licensed in their state to sell real-estate. They must take a series of courses, then a state exam. There are standards in which they must practice. You can check that state real-estate board to see if there are any complaints on the agent you are interested in. For an agent to stay in business they must have satisfied customers. There are some agents who specialize in certain areas of town, new construction, commercial, investment properties, and business sales to name a few.
A broker is someone who has taken additional series of courses. They are held to a higher standard of knowledge. They also can work on commercial and business listings.
I went to several open houses. Meet the agent. Interviewed the agent. Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions regarding their experience. Does (s)he seem interested in you being there? Is the agent sitting watching the television while talking to you? How communicative is (s)he? Are they professionally dressed?
Pay attention to the for sale signs, as you drive in the neighborhood, you think you want to live in. Are there sold signs? Does one particular agent have more signs then another? In a market slump, homeowners are still putting their trust in that agent who has the sign up, speaks volumes about trust.
Search online. It is no secret that being number one on the website is as the result of a fee payment. Looking for an agent this way in my mind, serves no purpose. Except if it can get you to the multiple listing service (MLS). You see thousands of homes for sale, frankly I was more confused then ever, using this without the help of my agent.
Print advertising can show you agents in the area you are interested in living. You can call them, interview them over the telephone. Ask about their experience. Ask if they are full time or part time agents. Ask for two or three references that you can call.
Don’t forget to ask your mortgage broker. They are generally a good resource for finding an agent.
When you have found your agent you will know it. Somehow it the gut of your stomach you know you made the best choice and I wasn’t proven wrong.
Thank you for reading my article
frankeckert@cox