7 Tips For Picking The Best Real Estate Agent For Your Needs

1. Ask For A List Of Recent Clients Before Choosing An Agent

Whether you’re a first-time homeowner looking to buy a house or you’re looking to sell a property, you’ll need this information in order to ascertain if the real estate agent is up to the task. If you’re buying a property, ask the agent to provide you with a few clients they’ve done this for in the recent past.

Find out from the clients what the asking price on the respective properties was and what they paid for them. If you are selling, get some background information to see if the previous clients’ properties had features similar to yours.

Get to know where those properties were located, how much they were asking for, and what they finally sold for. You need a realtor who specializes in the specific type of property you’re looking to buy or dispose of.

While identifying how to find a real estate agent, you’ll also need to ask the all-important question: how long were their properties on the market? The last thing you want is to settle for a realtor who takes ages to find a willing buyer or seller for your property.

2. Carry Out Due Diligence To Check For Licensing Information

While learning how to choose a real estate agent, bear in mind that they are licensed and controlled by state regulatory institutions. Each state body has its own rules and regulations that realtors must abide by if they hope to remain in business.

This information is readily available in the public domain. All one has to do is go online, enter the license number or name of the agent and their information should pop up.

You’ll be able to see if a particular agent has had any complaints or disciplinary actions taken against them. This should help you make an informed decision.

3. Find An Agent With Additional Credentials

A real estate license is great and all, but does the agent have anything else they bring to the table? Do they possess certain specialties in their real estate practice that makes them a trusted authority in the field?

Look out for the post-nominal initials after the agent’s name. These indicate that they have undergone additional training that makes them experts in their field. For instance:

• GRI stands for Graduate, REALTOR® Institute designation is a way to stand out to prospective home buyers and sellers as a REALTOR® who has gained in-depth knowledge on technical subjects as well as the fundamentals of real estate.
• CRS denotes Certified Residential Specialist indicates that they have an additional skill set that qualifies them to handle residential real estate.
• ABR after a realtor’s name stands for Accredited Buyer’s Representative. This indicates that they are competent to represent buyers in all real estate transactions.

If the agent refers to themselves as a Realtor with a capital “R”, it means that they are a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and are bound by the body’s code of ethics.

4. Establish How Long They’ve Been In Business

As you’re thinking of how to choose a realtor who can deliver on your expectations, remember that experience is the best teacher. You certainly don’t want to put yourself in the hands of an agent who’s learning from you. This could potentially cost you time and money.

Choose a brokerage that’s been in the business for at least 5 years. They should be actively engaged in properties within a particular locale and price range. That way they can easily demonstrate knowledge of the homes and areas of your price range to get you the best deal possible.

5. The Real Estate Agent’s Knowledge Of The Area Is Key

This is an important element to put into consideration as you decide how to pick a realtor. Casually mention a property in your area that was recently bought or sold and use their response to gauge how in touch they are with the region’s goings-on.

They don’t necessarily have to be the agent who dealt with the property. However, they should be able to give you a few details about it. That’s a person who’s on top of their game and that’s definitely the agent you want on your team.

6. Interview Multiple Agents

When choosing a real estate agent, one and done just won’t cut it. You’ll need to interview at least 3 agents before settling on the one you’ll go with. Some of the questions you need to ask during the interview process include:

• The methods they intend to use to help you find the perfect property or market.
• Ask them to provide you with a list of their recent sales as well as references you can call to verify.

Pay attention to the manner in which the agent responds to your initial query. This is a perfect indicator of how you can expect all future interactions to be. Look for one who responds promptly, and with loads of information.

7. Realtor And Real Estate Agent Don’t Mean The Same Thing

All realtors are real estate agents but not all agents are realtors. The term “Realtor” is a registered trademark of the NAR (the National Association of Realtors). They are governed by a set of ethical standards that are embedded in state and federal law.

Members of the NAR pledge to abide by a code of ethics. It is a comprehensive list of about 17 articles that define the underlying standards of practice.

How to find a realtor or a real estate agent ultimately boils down to personal preference. Realtors are allowed to display the NAR logo.