Choosing a real estate agent

Finding a good real estate agent can be a long and difficult process. Buying or selling your home is stressful, so make sure you take the time to find the best real estate agent for your specific needs. Take some time to research and conduct interviews with real estate professionals before making a decision.

Perform a search:

  1. Know what credentials a good real estate agent should have. The first thing to do when you start choosing an agent is to look at the credentials. Your real estate agent must be registered with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) if you are in the United States. Within this association, the real estate agent may have a higher designation indicating that he has experience, has taken certain accreditation courses, and passed some tests to gain such designation.
  2. ABR or Accredited Buyer’s Representative. This means that it is a real estate agent who has taken and passed courses of representation for a buyer and, for this reason, it will be good to protect your interests when negotiating a mortgage, the sale price and other aspects to buy a house.
  3. MRP or military relocation professional. A real estate agent with this denomination has experience working with military personnel and relatives of military personnel.
  4. CIPS or certified specialist in international properties. A real estate agent with this designation will know the advantages and disadvantages of buying a property abroad if you want to buy one.
  5. SRES or real estate specialist for seniors. A professional like this will be a good choice if you are over 50 as it specializes in meeting the particular needs of people your age.
  6. Look at the prizes and the licenses. Needless to say, but your real estate agent must have an updated license. You should make sure that this professional has completed all the proper preparation before having a business with him.
  7. Your estate must have a Real Estate Regulatory Council that you can probably find online through a Google search. Your name should be on the website with all the professionals currently licensed in the area.
  8. Likewise, you can check to see if there has been any disciplinary action or complaint about this real estate agent. You may not want to work with someone who has a reputation for being dishonest in the community.
  9. Similarly, the “Best Real Estate Agent of the Year” award is also an asset. If you are looking for the best possible option, it is advisable to choose someone who has made himself stand out from the crowd during the course of his professional career.
  10. Talk to old customers. A good real estate agent will gladly give you a list of old customers when you request it. You can contact them and ask for an honest assessment of the real estate agent’s skills.
  11. A good question to ask the old customers is the difference between the offer price and the selling price. This will give you a general idea of ​​how well the real estate agent managed to reduce prices and get a good deal for their clients. However, look for a high selling price if you sell your home.
  12. Ask about your overall experience. Ask if the real estate agent could have done something differently, whether they would recommend it to a friend or about their strengths and weaknesses.
  13. Remember to take into account human subjectivity. Some people are hard to please, so you need to communicate with at least three or four old customers to have an accurate analysis. It may be a sign that a person was simply difficult if he expressed much negativity about the real estate agent, while another three indicated that they had a positive experience.
  14. Pay attention to the alarm signals. There are some warning signs that you should keep in mind when choosing a real estate agent. There are certain warning signs that indicate that a real estate agent may not be the best option.
  15. It will be a bad sign if your real estate agent immediately sells a very high price when selling your house. Putting a high price on the house means that it can take much longer to sell, and an experienced professional will know.
  16. An agent who only works part-time may not be the best choice. He is less experienced and less dedicated to his clients.
  17. Try to find another agent if yours does not typically deal with the type of property you buy or sell. Make sure you find someone who can meet your specific needs.
  18. Do not choose someone who does not usually deal with people who are looking to buy within your price range. Agents pay more attention to wealthier clients as these professionals earn a commission on the sale of houses. Your agent may not necessarily be useful to you if you usually deal with luxury homes and if you are looking for a modest home.

Make your choice:

  1. Communicate with the agents to have an interview. Before hiring a real estate agent, he conducts a series of interviews with potential agents. Ask as many questions as possible to get a general idea of ​​whether an agent is right for you.
  2. Ask how long you’ve been in business. Ideally, you should work with a highly experienced agent. Do not just ask how long you’ve worked, but also ask how many buyers you’ve worked with during that time. Agents who only work part-time or who do not work with many clients may not be as skilled as those who have worked with a variety of people.
  3. Ask what type of properties you usually deal with. You must work with someone who deals with the buying and selling of the type of place you are looking to get. Also, ask about the types of experience you have. This will be the time to ask you for information specific to your needs, such as some specific certificates and some specializations, such as working with military or overseas properties. Ask the agent how you plan to communicate with you. You do not want to have someone who is difficult to contact or only respond to a means of communication, such as emails or phone calls. The best real estate agent will be willing to communicate with you and under your conditions. Buying or selling a home is a great decision; you will not want to work with someone who is unreliable in communication.
  4. Browse the current list of homes. When you have conducted the interviews, look at the list of homes advertised by the agent online. This can be found on their own website and on other websites.
  5. How compatible are the types of houses in that listing with which you want to buy? Do you see immediately something that interests you? Here are some questions you should ask yourself as you review the list of available homes.
  6. Pay attention to the price range. Does your agent usually work within your price range? Otherwise, as mentioned above, you might not get as much attention as you need.
  7. Check your real estate agent’s online presence before making a decision. Do it even after talking to him and his old customers. An agent may not use a particular client for reference if this person had a bad experience.
  8. Online reviews in this area are subjective, just like any other online review. Often people go to websites, like Yelp, when they are very frustrated or annoyed and enjoy the anonymity that these pages allow. While it is true that you must have some skepticism about these media, it can be a bad sign if there are many bad reviews and accusations of fraud or other suspicious deals.
  9. Request a 90-day contract. It is advisable to ask a real estate agent. You can renew it if your relationship with him works well. Otherwise, you can get rid of this without wasting much time with the wrong person. See if the real estate agent you are interested in is willing to provide a short-term contract or even a short trial period before signing the papers.

Tips:

  • Do not hire a relative or friend who is not in the field. While it is true that you may feel it is advisable to work with the family, these situations can become chaotic easily. You do not want to work with someone who does not know the business.

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