2. Tip # 1
Meet agents out in
their working
environment, not
in their offices.
Good agents spend
very little time at their
desks.
3. Tip #2
Make sure the
agent has closed
many properties
and has worked a
few years at least.
The average real
estate agent closes
only 1 or 2 houses a
year. More closings
mean more
experience.
4. Tip #3
A great place to
meet agents is at
open houses. Don't
worry that you are not
interested in that
particular property.
The agent knows that
open houses rarely
produce a buyer
for that home and use
the open house as a
tool to find buyers.
5. Tip #4
Another good
method is to
contact the agent
with whom a
friend or relative
worked. If this agent
produced positive
results for a
friend, there's a good
chance they will do
the same for you.
6. Tip #5
Make sure your
agent is online.
Having a web savvy agent
is very important today as
over 85% of all buyers
initially see their homes
online. Great agents have
laptops and often have
moved to mobile
technology to assist. A real
estate agent in today's
world must
email, text, and be
available to buyers and
sellers alike.
7. Tip #6
Interview several
agents. Whether you are
looking for a buyer agent or
seller agent. Remember
though, agents will tell you
what you want to hear. Make
sure they are not selling you a
dream partnership... you want
to hire a realistic real estate
agent. Don't sign a buyers
agreement form before
looking for property (you
should feel free to build trust
with a real estate agent over
several hours of looking
before signing anything).
8. Tip #7
Look for signs that
the agent is busy. A
hard-working, go-getter of
an agent is good. Be careful,
sometimes they are too
busy. A real estate agent can
only effectively work with
about a half-dozen buyers
and a dozen sellers at any
given time to properly give
the time needed to a buyer.
If they pass you to an
"assistant", move to another
agent that will give their
time to you.
9. Tip #8
It is important that
your agent is
knowledgeable. Ask
questions about things you
have learned through your
new-found interest in real
estate. If they don't know
more than you - after all,
this is her livelihood! - go
on to seasoned agent.
Local knowledge is
particularly critical
especially in city settings.
10. Tip #9
An excellent agent
is the most
important to you
when buying a
home for the first
time. They should have
experience and should be
able to guide you through the
complexities of the process
including lender info that you
will have to provide. The loan
process has become much
more demanding and
complex in 2013.
11. Tip #10
See how the
agent's MLS
listings come up in
searches. When listing
in today's market, all
listings from small to big
should have professional
photos - this is the first
sign of a professional real
estate agent who
understands today's
market.
12. Tip #11
How respected is
the
brokerage/agent.
You want an agent that will
network and work
cooperatively with other
agents. Seasoned agents
tend to know the other
agents in the area and
have good working
relationships with them.
This tends to transform
into good transactions.
13. Tip #12
Check the
references that an
agent should be
able to provide
you. Ask the other real
estate agents you
interview if they know the
other agent and if they
respect them as a real
estate agent.
14. Tip #13
Ask your agent
where they live. An
agent that lives and works
locally will have their finger
on the pulse of the market
and be able to answer
important questions about
the community. They
should at a minimum know
the schools where they
work. This is especially
important in large cities.
15. Tip #14
Ask "Can you
recommend service
providers who can
assist me in obtaining
a mortgage, making
repairs on my home,
and other things I
need done?" Keep in
mind here that a real estate
agent should generally
recommend more than one
provider and shouldn't
receive any compensation
(ethical issues tend to arise
when this happens).
16. Tip #15
Ask how long the
real estate agent
has been working
full time. It is not that
newer agents aren't
capable, it just is a factor in
making an informed
decision. Many
"experienced" agents are
not always the best choice
either. Especially if they
haven't kept up with
technology.
17. Tip #16
Ask the agent if
the real estate
agent is a full time
agent. Is this her only
job? You should
demand a full time
agent.
18. Tip #17
Ask Who the agent
is working for in
the transaction,
the buyer or the
seller (a real estate
agent selling a
house almost
always works for
the seller and tend
to spin things a
sellers way)
19. Tip#18
Ask "How will you
keep me informed
about the progress
of my transaction?
How frequently?"
Using what media?
Again, this is not a
question with a
correct answer, but
that one reflects your
desires.
20. Tip #19 • Don't expect an agent to call you instantly when you leave a
message, but do expect a call back within 24 hours or a
reasonable amount of time depending upon the situation.
• Don't call your real estate agent after hours, past 9 pm or so.
They have a life too.
• This is your most important transaction of your life, a
seasoned real estate agent does this everyday and
understands the many problems that arise during the process.
Try to keep the big picture in mind.
• Your house / or the house you are buying is a commodity.
Supply and demand within a neighborhood play an important
role in pricing and timing of a sale. Try not to become overly
emotionally involved in the purchase/sale of the property.
21. Tip #20
See a few
properties in the
same area on open
house day, to get
an idea about the
house prices in
your selected
neighborhood. This
will help to keep you
from being completely
blind-sided when you
go to an agent.
22. Tip#21
Work with a Local
Market Expert. There
are real estate agents who
specialize in working within a
specific community. Even if
you have a real estate agent
that you like, you might be
best served by a real estate
agent who knows the area
well, and can advise you
about any adverse local
market conditions that an
outsider might not be aware
of.
23. Tip#22
If you are a buyer,
you want to work
with a Buyers
Agents (also
known as a Buyer
Broker.) This was you know
your interests are protected in
the transaction. Likewise if you
are a seller, you want to work
with someone that is experienced
in representing the seller and
securing the most qualified buyer
at the best net profit for you. Not
all agents are experts in working
with buyers or sellers, so you
need to ask specifics.
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