Thread: How to Choose a Real Estate Agent?

How to Choose a Real Estate Agent?
by Mark Z

A real estate agent will guide you to - and through - the most important decision of your life. How do you know, for sure, that he will act in your best interests?

How do you know if he will really work for you? Is he too busy for you? What of his personal integrity? How much effort will he expend for you?

You will want to feel very comfortable with the real estate agent that you choose, comfortable enough to be able to say 'no' to the bargain of the month and 'no' to the almost perfect house.

He must not be intimidating to you, yet a business-like attitude and assertiveness are qualities you will want in a professional acting for you.

Often when you are choosing a business professional, the outcome is not so critical, but who wants to lose their dream property? Choosing a real estate agent falls into the same bracket as choosing a medical doctor or a lawyer.

The interview and short listing process is really all about finding one that you feel comfortable with. Real estate agents usually have a 'presentation'. This is usually a very business-like procedure and if they are having an off day, the presentation may click in automatically.

However, you will need to get past the 'rehearsed' person and get to know the real one. Most real estate agents will have integrity, they have their reputations to think about, but you need to feel that you also have one that understands you and your wants.

Some real estate agents have amazing sales records, so ask about sales history. Ask if he would mind giving you some recent sales to choose references from. Gather up at least half a dozen and then choose your own references to phone. Before you phone, ask the real estate agent a few questions.

For instance: How long was each house on the market? How many were reduced and why? How many times and by how much?

Some other questions could be: Will there be a marketing plan drawn up for the sale of your house? Will it be carried out? What guarantees do you have? To see if the agent is keen and enthusiastic, ask him if he has taken any extra real estate courses.

See if you find his voice or tone very monotone; if so, do you find it relaxing, or would you prefer a lively voice generating a more energetic feeling?

Finally you must try and gauge the quality of his negotiating skills. Ask about commissions; in a house sale it will be necessary for you both to be able to discuss money amicably.

Observe the way the real estate agent explains things when you try and negotiate a lower rate. If he can convince you that his fee is fair and that he will have to work hard to earn it, then he can convince others to listen to his viewpoint when he is working for you!

All this discussion will give you enough time and a good basis on which to judge the personality of the real estate agent. Then the bottom line is that you have to pick someone that you feel you can trust.

Originally Posted by Logicb0x

How to Choose a Real Estate Agent?
by Mark Z

A real estate agent will guide you to - and through - the most important decision of your life. How do you know, for sure, that he will act in your best interests?......
All this discussion will give you enough time and a good basis on which to judge the personality of the real estate agent. Then the bottom line is that you have to pick someone that you feel you can trust.

I think the last line that you provided here really sums up the answer to the ever-popular question: who do I use as my agent?

This is truly one of the biggest (if not the biggest) financial decision in a person's life, and cannot be given to just anyone who is marketing or trying to "sell" them.

Excellent post, and some great content here!

Good information in here...finding the right agent is very important to success as well as your sanity!

My advice is find someone that you get along with...someone that is most like your own personality..mirror matching sort a speak

Of course everything is true in here. We must choose the right agent, the name we can trust. We should also consider the accreditations. Like awards, in short, the credibility of the agent. There are a lot of factors to consider, one is trust, second is money and of course we should consider, the credibility of the agent. And its "record" as a real estate agent.

Are you buying or selling? It makes a difference as to what agent you choose. There are agents who are better at selling your home and that's all they do, and then there are some agents who work strictly with buyers. Not to say that an agent doesn't and can't do both. I work on a team, my partner is the listing agent who sells your house; that's his specialty. I work on finding you a house to buy, that's what I love to do.

Ask friends and family for referrals. Interview a couple of agents for the "job". You have to feel comfortable with the one you choose, you have to trust them; this is a big investment decision.

We're finding that, when it comes to selling, we're getting a lot of referrals from previous clients who are sending their friends to us.

It's great because it shows that previous clients have been happy with our service and are confident enough to recommend us to their friends.

Lots of people I show houses to are happy with our sales technique and then give us their house to sell.

Clicking with potential clients will take you a long way.

Ask for recommendations from people who have just sold a home in your area, or call a local real estate[COLOR=#0364A4 ! important][/COLOR] office and speak to the manager; ask the manager to recommend an agent who specializes in your type of property and community.

Thanks

Great post. I think for me the best way to choose a good real estate agent is to find the one whom you trust. It's important that you have a trust to a real estate agent who will handle your real estate business or property before you deal with him.

Hi,good and very informative information i think finding the right agent is the key of success.