subject: Learning What Makes A Good Realtor [print this page] Learning What Makes A Good Realtor Learning What Makes A Good Realtor
Before you start the very complicated and stressful process of buying or selling a home, you should have an idea of what makes a good realtor. Hiring an incompetent realtor will only add to the mountain of things you have to worry about. On the other hand, hiring a great realtor will ease your mind and give you someone you can trust with important decisions regarding your home. A realtor is there to make the process of buying and selling homes easier and more enjoyable.
If you can avoid it, do not hire a realtor without a personal reference. Even if you have read reviews online, and checked out the company's website, you never know who has written the reviews. The company could even be paying people to write good reviews. Talk to someone you love and trust, such as a family member or a colleague at work in order to find a great realtor. However, you should not blindly trust the person who gave the recommendation. Do your background research and make sure the realtor is qualified.
Realty is a business; plain and simple. You do not want someone conducting such an important business as selling or buying a home, with no experience in business. In addition to having some background with business, a background in financial planning as well as communications is a plus. There are many outstanding realtors who do not have college degrees, but all of them must have a license to practice realty within the state or province.
You can find out if your realtor has any credentials by simply asking them. In addition, realtors often display diplomas and certificates in their office. If their name or business name is followed by a title, you know they have earned some sort of certificate. Well known titles are GRI for Graduate Realtor's Institute and SRES for Senior Real Estate Specialist.
Realtors are often very busy people and work with many clients at once. Make sure you get a realtor that is reputable and hard working, but who dedicates their time to you. Note whether or not the realtor returns your phone calls quickly. If you find that you are always struggling to get into contact with the person, they may not be worth your time.
Another important attribute is punctuality. If you are buying a house and your realtor is constantly late to meet you at open houses, it shows they are not dedicated. For those who are attempting to sell their house, having a realtor who has issues with punctuality could put the sale of your house in jeopardy. You do not want your realtor showing up late for a meeting with a prospective buyer.
If you ask a realtor for their resume, they should provide you with it. Look on their resume for their professional references and get in contact with them. It is rare for people to actually contact references, so you may find that the references they have listed actually had a bad experience with the realtor. Talking to someone who has worked with them in the past will bring great insight into their professionalism.
There are not many things to remember when it comes to what makes a good realtor. A combination of passion, dedication, professionalism, and reliability should do it. When you can tell that someone likes their job and they do it because they genuinely want to help you, then you will surely be satisfied with the service they provide.
