Sponsored by:
Purchasing or selling property takes time and effort, and it’s something you’ll want help with. Hiring a real estate agent means you’ll have an expert who can explain the transaction process while ensuring you get the best deal. But how do you find an agent who gives you the service you deserve? Here are five tips for choosing an agent.
Determine your needs
Are you a senior looking for a new property to age in place? Are you a first-time seller? Do you have to move within a certain time frame? Before you begin your agent search, think about your situation and how you would explain it to a prospective agent. Once you figure out your needs, you’ll have a better sense of what to discuss with an agent when it’s time to go through your choices.
Ask people you trust
One of the top ways real estate agents gain new clients is through referrals. If a friend, family member, coworker, or other person whom you trust has bought or sold property, ask for recommendations of local agents. These people are likely to tell you the truth about their experience working with that agent, so don’t be afraid to ask for the good and bad.
Look for a REALTOR®
As a consumer, you want your licensed agent to be a REALTOR®. Agents who have chosen to be REALTORS® follow a code of ethics that protects their clients’ interests. REALTORS® also have access to more than 100 forms that nonmembers cannot use, which means that your San Antonio area REALTOR® has forms for many real estate situations that non-REALTOR® agents don’t.
Conduct interviews before making a choice
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential REALTORS®, set up interviews to ask questions about their services and explain what you are looking for. Here’s a list of potential questions worth asking:
- What is your communication style? If you prefer certain types of contact or expect to be in touch with a certain frequency, be sure to mention those preferences in your interview.
- What does your marketing plan entail? Sellers should find out how a REALTOR® plans to market their home to prospective buyers.
- Do you specialize in my situation? Some San Antonio area REALTORS® focus on specific areas, demographics, and transaction types. For example, if you’d like to sell some land, a Texas Realtor who specializes in farm and ranch transactions might be best for you.
Talk to their other clients
Even if you got a recommendation for a local REALTOR® through someone you know, you may want to talk to other past and present clients during the vetting process. This could give you a chance to hear from someone who has a similar situation as yours and can explain how the agent handled it.
Although it may take some time to find a REALTOR® who fits your needs, it’s worth it. Real estate transactions can be complicated, and a REALTOR® is the best person to provide guidance about each step, give you advice, and help you reach your goals. Visit SABOR.com to start your search.
It really can help to take the article’s advice and evaluate what you need out of a real estate agent first. After all, when you are choosing an agent to help you buy a home you’ll want them to have the experience and skill necessary to help you with your purchase. For example, if you are moving to an entirely new town, you’ll want an agent that can answer any questions you might have about the property and neighborhood you’re moving into.
I really like how you talk about how to find and choose the right real estate agent. This is so important to my wife and I as we are looking for our dream home. Maybe we should look more into hiring a real estate agent or something so we can find the perfect place.
My friend is looking to buy her very first home, though she isn’t sure what to expect. Because of this, she’s looking for a real estate agent to help her. I loved how you mentioned to ask others who have recently sold or bought property for recommendations, as they will give you first person reviews. These tips will greatly help my friend, so thank you for sharing them.
I really like what you said about finding the best real estate agent for sell my house Houston. I would never have thought that asking the people in the community is the best way to do it. I am currently looking to buy a property and this article really helped me out. Visit: https://bit.ly/2BjQRMS
I really appreciate your tip to try and ask people you trust about choosing a realtor. My wife and I have been looking for a realtor. I will be sure to ask the people I trust for recommendations!
Hi Lorena, I found it interesting when you said that talking to their other clients could be a good move. I must advise my cousin to do the same thing since they are now planning to be relocated. They want to buy a new house near their new work. I believe this information will help them a lot. More power!
Thanks for suggesting that we ask potential realtors what their communication style is to make sure it matches our expectations. My husband and I want to sell our home and we’re currently looking for a realtor. It’s a great idea to ask about communication styles, so thanks for the tip!
I found it helpful when you suggested asking a few friends or relatives who have recently bought a house if they can recommend a good realtor if I cannot find one. A friend of mine bought a house well over a year ago, so it might be a good idea to ask him. It’s better than having no leads, and I need to be able to buy a house before my dad returns home this new year. That’s the reason why he sent me back first.
I like what you said about mentioning communication preferences when looking to hire a real estate agent. According to my knowledge, communication is one of the key attributes when finding a real estate agent because it allows one to assess their skill and knowledge. My wife and I will take this article into consideration if we ever sell our home and located the best real estate service we can find.
You can find a great real estate mouthpiece simply by taking the following measures.
1)By talking with the recent clients of that estate representative.
2)By inspecting the license and other disciplinary activities.
3)By asking about his professional accomplishments.
4)By giving a glance at the envoy’s current listings.
5)By checking the credentials and gauging the comprehension.
An experienced real estate agent- http://www.martinlandis.com/ is like “icing on the cake”. You just need to take the right measures so that you can spot the right one.
I really like your tip about figuring out your needs as a homeowner first before finding a real estate agent. My dad is looking for a ranch to spend most of his retirement on. I think being more specific with what he needs in terms of facilities and amenities will be sure to help his agent out in narrowing down his options.
Thank you for all this great information about choosing a real estate agent! A friend of mine has been thinking about finding a new house, but wasn’t sure how to do it correctly. I love that you mention telling them your preferred method of communication when you first meet them.
Thanks Lorena for very helpful share! People who tend to buy/sell home must read this article first.
My family is needing to move to a new area and I want to make sure we find the right house for us. This means I’m going to need to find a great real estate agent. Thank you for suggesting that I should ask around and get some referrals. I’ll have to do this and some research and hopefully find the best agent in the area.
My fiance and I are wanting to find a house that we can move into after the wedding. This means we need to find a great realtor in our area to help us find our perfect home. Thank you for suggesting that I should make sure and talk to their previous clients and get referrals. I’ll have to keep this in mind as I search for the best realtor in my area.
It really is important to take the article’s advice and make sure that you interview the real estate agent first. I particularly like that you actually recommend a few questions that you should try and ask. For example, it is important to know their communication style so that you know how to best contact them.
It is one of the important step in finding the house of your dream because a good agent knows the know how of property dealing and he is able to get you your home according to your budget.
This is also something to consider so that you know that you have an agent with a nice network.Really, it’s very good. I learnt a lot about this. I’ll try to apply your ideas and tips as well as.Effective marketing is crucial in getting tenants for your property.
My husband and I are wanting to buy a house to start our family in and need to find the right agent to help us. Thank you for pointing out that we need to determine our needs in a house with our agent. I’ll have to keep this in mind as I search for the best agent in the area.