Choosing Your Realtor – 5 Key Qualities

Choosing your realtor – the right real estate agent is one of the most important decisions you have to make when buying a home.  Ensuring you have a good agent can help you navigate the buying a home with minimal stress, otherwise someone not so skilled may make the process harder on you and your family.  There is also the financial cost when you hire a Realtor who is not familiar with current market trends in the are you have decided to live. Your goal when you’re ready to choose a real estate agent is to find someone who you can communicate  with, and who will put your goals as the number one priority.

Good Communication – #1 Skill

Ensure you hire an agent who you communicate well with, and who is willing and able to answer any and all questions that you might have about the home purchasing process.  In today’s sellers market knowing what your must have features, timeline and maximum price point is so important.  A realtor with good communication skills may help by getting you a Pre-Inspection of home when everyone else is waiving the home inspection requirement which often happens in a bidding war.

Real Estate Experience – #2 Skill

Interview a number of agents, do not just pick one.  Ask a potential agent how many years they’ve been buying and selling homes, and what services they provide other agents may not.   Ask about their average list-price-to-sale-price ratio, as well as the amount of time it typically takes their clients to find and close on their new home. You’ll want to choose a real estate agent who has a proven track record of getting buyers into homes quickly at a good price. Ask your prospective agent if he specializes in Listings or Buyers, and then ask for his numbers regarding their specialty.

Local Market Knowledge – #3 Skill

Hire an agent who works in your area of interest. A top producing real estate agent appreciates and utilizes the nuances that make a specific community’s housing market and pricing strategy unique and will put that information to work for you.  Whether you’re buying in a city, the suburbs, or the country, you’ll want a real estate agent who knows local market trends and patterns like the back of their hand and who can help guide you through the nuances of your specific locality. A good way to gauge local market knowledge is simply to ask. Inquire about the basics, like average time on the market for newly listed homes and average sale prices.

Social Media & Reviews – #4 Skill

Positive Reviews are a sign that clients are happy with the Real Estate Agent.  Social Media also gives a good indication of the success of a particular Realtor.  Most professional Realtors are active on Facebook, Instagram and even Twitter.  Facebook will typically have quite a few listings and lots of comments.  Positive comments are a good indication of their clients having a high regard for that realtors services. Sometime just Googling a Realtors name can bring unexpected results.

Compatability – #5 Skill

When you are buying a home you will be spending a lot of time looking at homes in the company of your Realtor.  Some Realtors will drive you around to various showings or just meet you there.  If you are allergic to aftershave, perfume or cigarette smoke, you might want to make these facts known at the very beginning.  Ensuring your personalities mesh is important when spending a lot of time with someone.  If your a kind of “laid back person” do you think you would enjoy spending hours upon hours with someone who tends to be pushy.  Ideally you should be with an agent who you trust and feel comfortable around.

What Your Realtor Does

Your Real Estate Agent wears many hats as they have many roles to play,  depending on whether or not they are representing you as the buyer’s agent or the seller’s agent. As a local expert they can provide guidance on neighborhoods that would make a good fit for you and your family.  A seasoned veteran is always updating their list of contacts, of clients (buyers and sellers) and available inventory of properties and keeping up with the goings on in various neighborhoods.  Your Realtor is tasked as operating as the “go between” (the buyer) and the seller(s) communicating with the seller and the seller’s agent (as applicable), scheduling showings so you can see different homes, doing research on different homes that are in your desired neighborhoods) and maintaining a list of professionals who they work with throughout this home buying/selling process. Tips for individuals looking for expert advice on Buying or Selling Real Estate.