Tips for finding the right real estate agent

At some point in our life, we understand that we need a place which we can call home. After coming to this conclusion, the first thing people usually do is to find a perfect real estate agent.

But here they encounter the main problem. Today’s housing market is very competitive. There are a lot of real estate agents and real estate agencies, they are advertising themselves everywhere, they have millions of social media accounts and websites, so how to find the right one that will help you find the right home for you, with the right price and timeline.

Here are some tips that will surely help you find a real estate agent of your dreams:

To ask a friend

Probably you’ve guessed this, but the first tip is to ask a friend. Do you like your friend’s home? And you remember that he/she got it for a really good price, immediately ask him/her the contact of the real estate agent.  If you tell your friends that you are buying a home, they will start recommending the best real estate agents anyway. The most important part is to know all the details about their working style, also information about the buyers that he is working with, as buyers can be very different as well, for example first time buyers, repeat buyers etc.

You have to consider one more thing: the difference between buyer’s agent and seller’s agent, though some of the real estate agents can help you with buying and selling (dual agency), anyway it’s risky, sometimes illegal, some states don’t allow it.

Researching online

I’m sure you have already googled Top real estate agents in the USA, or how to find top selling realtors. Of course, you did. And you’ve seen some names such as Josh Flagg, Josh Altman etc. That’s a good start, you can also read what made them good realtors. So, the second tip is researching online. It’s better to search for the real estate agencies in the same state, region, city where you want to buy your home, then find out which agent is better by viewing the feedback.

You have found your “nearly perfect” agent or agents online, now you have to interview them. But don’t hurry to interview, first of all write them emails and see who is fast, whose communication skills are good enough to be responsive. Your ideal candidate should get back to you that same day. Before the interview it’s better to write down all the things that you have in mind about your future home: location, price, timeline, neighborhood, weather etc. Ask questions about the real estate agent as well, like:

“How long have you been in business?”,

“How many houses did you sell last year?” etc.

Please note that it’s better to talk to the mortgage lender before interviewing the agent, so the money part will be solved and clear for both of you, as the real estate agent should know every detail in order to escape misunderstandings and possible mistakes.

References

References are crucial. Never doubt to ask agents to provide information about the homes they have sold, also ask for the contact information of his/her clients. Not only you will have more information about the agent but also you can start feeling more comfortable with the agent, as you have a long way to go together, the process of which is not one of the easiest.

Also listen to your heart, if you don’t trust, or don’t like the agent, just change the agent, as it is essential to enjoy the process of finding your future home.

Contract  

Once you have found your real estate agent, now it’s time for the legal part: the contract. All of the terms to which you have agreed should be in the contract. You have to read all the terms carefully and ask questions when needed so everything will be clear for you.

Don’t forget about the real estate commission. It is usually negotiable, but generally it’s 5%-6% of the home’s sales price. Real estate commission can vary by agent and location.

Except for tips, there are also some tricks that can help you find your real estate agent. One of which is to ask them their commission price, then say it’s too much and if they don’t stand by their prices and start to offer lower commissions just let them go as if they can’t protect their money, they will hardly protect yours.

As you can see, to find the right real estate agent is not the easiest thing, but the process of buying or selling is always fun. If your working style and your real estate agent’s clicks you can call yourself lucky. The real estate agent should be a trusted person and if he is also caring, kind and smart is a big plus as they can help you avoid costly mistakes and make the best decisions in every situation.