subject: How To Choose Your Real Estate Agent [print this page] Experience and performance is an advantage for a real estate agent, but there are other factors that must also be taken into consideration. The ideal agent is one who listens to you, is easy to get along with, and has the tools and skills to address your unique situation.
Every home buyer is different. Some have credit issues. Some are buying from out of state. A buyer may also be concurrently looking for a buyer of his current home. Just as buyers have different needs, real estate agents have different skills and specialties.
Here's how to find the agent who's right for you.
Ask friends and family for agent referrals. They would have a better grasp of what you want. The familiarity would make them excellent sources of referrals for reliable agents. Furthermore, you can trust their judgment and honesty more than you would an unknown person.
Take your time choosing agents. Eighty- four percent of home buyers settle for the first agent who comes around. There are two reasons for this. One, it turned out that they made the right choice; or second they took short cuts without surveying the field. Probably a little of both.
On the other hand, you don't have to spend so much time looking for the perfect agent, you can tell easy enough if you are on the same wave length with an agent after you've talked to a few.
Consider the vibe factor. The first consideration or course is the professional skill of the real estate agent. Plus, you must be comfortable working with each other. You will be seeing your agent throughout the duration so you must be able to feel free to talk and express your thoughts and opinion. We all have unique personalities, and that's the way it should be. It will however be an advantage if you happen to share common traits and characteristics and work as a team.
Be interested in their modus operandi. When deciding on a real estate agent, ask how they search for homes. Be wary when the agent pushes through a property from his own list. But you want what's best for you, not what's best for your agent. You're paying them, right? The agent must be under compulsion to exert his best effort to look for the home that will meet your criteria. In other words, he must access all listings particularly the Multiple Listing Service in addition to his own preferred lists.
Demand to see all relevant documents. Documents are important parts of the transactions. Real estate transactions require documentation, among which would be your contract with the agent. Normally, you will have to execute a contractual agreement with your agent. Basically, it just means that if the agent shows you a particular property, your purchase of the property should be credited to that agent.In most cases it's a simple, just be sure to read it carefully and ask questions.
