HOW DO YOU FIND THE BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT?

IF YOU HAVE STARTED YOU HOME SEARCH AND ARE FEELING A LITTLE OVERWHELMED HERE IS THE BEST WAY TO FIND AN AGENT FOR YOU.

HOW DO I FIND THE BEST AGENT FOR ME?

To find the best agent you should think of the selection process as an interview to find someone that is the right fit. You are interviewing potential agents to determine which one will get you into a new home, in the shortest amount of time possible, and for the least amount of money. With that in mind, you should attempt to find an agent through a referral (more than 50% of buyers find an agent through referral or from previous home buying experience), or by contacting your State’s Association of Realtors.

Your evaluation should focus on the following criteria:

EXPERIENCE

Does your agent have recent and in-depth experience helping buyers locate homes that fit your criteria, and in your preferred location?

• Location: What areas do you work in the most?
• Price-Range: What was the price range of homes for which you acted as buyer agent last year? Average / median home price?
• First-Time Buyers: What percentage of your work is with first-time home buyers?
• Experience Closing: How many buyers have you represented? How many transactions did you complete in the last year?
• Buyers vs. Sellers: What percentage of your business is with home buyers (as opposed to sellers)?
• Types of Home: What type of homes do you specialize in? Single-family / condo / townhouse?

PERSONALITY

Trust is important in real estate transactions; does your agent have a personality that you’re comfortable with and do they seem trustworthy?

• Timing/Organization: How many clients do you work with? Can you work around my schedule?
• Communication Style: What is your preferred method of communication? (phone / email / text / in-person)? How often do you stay in touch?

KEY INTERVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

• Does the agent intimidate you? Do you feel they would pressure you into making a decision before you are ready?
• Would the agent work around your time schedule? Do they seem like they have time for you?
• Do you have confidence in their experience and abilities?
• Are they a member of the National Association of Realtors?

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR WITH AN AGENT

• An agent who is reluctant to show houses being sold directly by the owner – commission is usually only paid to agent for transactions in which a seller’s agent is representing the owner (you may need to discuss directly compensating your agent for this type of transaction).
• An agent who may be financially motivated to pressure you into completing a transaction – could pressure you or suggest that you pay a higher price so that you are more likely to secure the home, especially in the event of a bidding war.
• The potential exists for a “dual agency” situation, where an agent represents both the buyer and seller (and stands to collect the full commission). In these cases, the agent is incentivized purely to make sure that a transaction closes, instead of protecting the buyer’s best interests.
• Service providers recommended by an agent may be less motivated to discover potential problems with the house in order to maintain business with the agent.