How To Find A Great Real Estate Agent
If you're looking to buy or sell a home or other property
, the first step in the process is to hire a real estate agent. Hiring a real estate agent is not something that many people put a lot of thought into--but they should. A good real estate agent can help you find the perfect home for you quickly and at good price. And it's important to remember that there are both good and bad real estate agents out there--real estate agents who just want to make money, and real estate agents who know that the key to good business is to provide good service. The following article describes some of the characteristics you should look for in real estate agent who can successfully help you buy or sell your property.
Experience
Of course, at the top of the list is experience. A good real estate agent has been in the business a while and knows all of the ins and outs of how to buy and sell a home. Further, agents with experience have encountered and solved problems in the past and know how to guide the buying or selling process along smoothly.
Knowledge
Along with experience, you should also make sure that your real estate agent has knowledge of the market. He or she needs to know everything there is to know about price averages and ranges in your area, needs to know the details and specifics about different communities, and needs to understand the trends of the area market in general. For instance, if you're buying St. George real estate, you need to find an agent who has worked and has demonstrated knowledge of that specific area in Utah.
Skill
Another thing to look for in a good real estate agent is a high skill level. Aside from having experience and knowledge of the market, you should know if he or she is skilled in working with your type of property. For instance, if you're looking for a condo, apartment, or land, the real estate agent you hire should have skills in working with those types of properties.
A good real estate agent should also be skilled in communication and in the technical areas of their job. He or she should be familiar with contracts, titles, the different types of home inspections, appraisals, and negotiation. The last skill is particularly important as the real estate agent will be your go-between in negotiating price and getting you the best deal possible on a piece of property.
Willing to Work with You
A quality real estate agent will also show willingness to get to know you and your needs before helping you find a home. Good real estate agents should ask questions to discover more than the basic number of rooms and size of home you want. They should talk to you about the type of neighborhood your looking for, if you want to live near any schools, how much repair work you're willing to do on a home, and what kind of personal or physical needs you may have that could be helped with the right home or property. When your real estate agent is willing to make you an integral part in the buying and selling process, you are much more likely to find a property that you will be happy with.
Resources
Good real estate agents will also have great resources, particularly a helpful website. Many real estate agents feature listings online with pictures and descriptions so that you can search for and evaluate properties before seeing them in person. Agents should also have good relationships with real estate attorneys, mortgage brokers, and home inspectors so that they can help guide you to the best services you may need when buying or selling a home.
Honesty
Above all, a real estate agent should be honest and show integrity. They should be honest when recommending properties and be forthcoming when perhaps a property wouldn't be right for you. Although nobody wants to hear that a property is out of their price range or that a certain neighborhood is an unrealistic option, it can help save time and unnecessary costs if your real estate agent honestly reveals to you these concerns. Trying to figure out if someone is honest or not can be difficult, but if you can find an honest real estate agent that you can trust, you can prevent any secret or hidden faults of your property from surprising you in the future.
So, now that you know what to look for in a real estate agent, how to find one with all or most of these qualities? Granted, it is sometimes difficult to determine if a person is honest, knowledgeable, or hardworking in a simple interview, but that's where you should start. Ask the agents about their work experience, encouraging them to give specific examples of recent work they've done. Before you do the interview, you may want to see if they have a website to see if they have a mission statement and to verify what services they offer so you can ask about them in the interview.
After you've interviewed potential agents and narrowed down your list, go out into the community. Look for people who have worked with these agents before and ask them about their experience, encouraging them to be candid. You're sure to find out if a real estate agent is dishonest, lazy, or lacks knowledge if you interview several people who have worked with that person before.
Finding an excellent real estate agent in you specific area is key to being successful in buying or selling a home. And by hiring a real estate agent with all or most of the above characteristics, you can be more confident in buying or selling your property, knowing that you are being helped by the best in the business.
by: Art Gib
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