Does your agent never get in touch, fail to offer advice, or work only part time? Well, it's about time you ditch the dud and find someone who is effective.
In an uncertain housing market, an effective real-estate agent can be a big help to consumers looking to buy or sell property. But not all real-estate agents are created equal. Consumers who end up with a dud throw additional risk onto what's already likely to be the largest financial transaction of their lives. Choosing a real-estate agent is a major decision.
So you want to make sure — whether you are selling or buying — that you have somebody who is effective for you. But with so many options, how do you pinpoint the best broker?
To help consumers struggling with this question, here is a list of seven ways to avoid a crummy real-estate agent:
1. Locate candidates
Begin your selection process by putting together a slate of qualified candidates. Start by speaking with friends and relatives who have recently bought or sold a home. What did they think about their agent? Would they use that agent again?
Begin your selection process by putting together a slate of qualified candidates. Start by speaking with friends and relatives who have recently bought or sold a home. What did they think about their agent? Would they use that agent again?
Get some really good word-of-mouth recommendations from people who have used an agent. That is a key piece to whatever you are doing.
2. Run background checks
Once you have a handful of names, it's time for a bit of detective work. Plug the names into Google or your local newspaper's online search engine and see what pops up. If you Google somebody and you can't find their cell phone (number) and you can't find their e-mail and you can't find their (website) — you don't see them marketing themselves on blogs and various websites, on Twitter and Facebook — it probably means that they don't necessarily have the marketing skills in this day and age to do the job.
Once you have a handful of names, it's time for a bit of detective work. Plug the names into Google or your local newspaper's online search engine and see what pops up. If you Google somebody and you can't find their cell phone (number) and you can't find their e-mail and you can't find their (website) — you don't see them marketing themselves on blogs and various websites, on Twitter and Facebook — it probably means that they don't necessarily have the marketing skills in this day and age to do the job.
Consumers can even run a background check through the website of their state's real-estate licensing board. Make sure that the person you are (considering for your agent) has a license. It may seem obvious, but sometimes you forget that.
3. Conduct interviews
After narrowing down the field of candidates, meet the agents face to face.
After narrowing down the field of candidates, meet the agents face to face.
The main thing is to sit down with the Realtor and make sure that you feel comfortable with that individual and you feel like you can have a working relationship with them.
4. Establish experience
In addition to getting a feel for an agent's personality and professionalism, there are several key qualifications consumers should establish during the interview. Determining the agent's experience in your target market is perhaps the most important. You really need to ask them where they work most of the time: Where do you live? Where do you work? What area of town are most of your transactions in. Consumers should look for agents with extensive experience in the area where their transaction is taking place.
In addition to getting a feel for an agent's personality and professionalism, there are several key qualifications consumers should establish during the interview. Determining the agent's experience in your target market is perhaps the most important. You really need to ask them where they work most of the time: Where do you live? Where do you work? What area of town are most of your transactions in. Consumers should look for agents with extensive experience in the area where their transaction is taking place.
5. Consider communication
Consumers need to be sure that their agent will communicate effectively with them as the process unfolds.
Consumers need to be sure that their agent will communicate effectively with them as the process unfolds.
Those who are Gen Xers want to only talk to you via e-mail and text, and there might be some agents who might be of an age where e-mail and text aren't the major ways of communication. Misunderstandings happen when you don't have all of that worked out upfront.
But regardless of the form of communication, consumers need an agent who is responsive and easy to reach. And you can test that. Call them on off hours and see if they respond and how quickly they do respond. … If they don't get back to you (promptly), that is a huge red flag.
6. Know resources, commitment
Agents who have robust resources will often be able to produce better results for their clients. Inquire about additional resources, such as a staff, that the agent can bring to bear on the transaction. A bonus would be if somebody has a team or an assistant. That's just kind of a good sign that they have got their business structure together.
Agents who have robust resources will often be able to produce better results for their clients. Inquire about additional resources, such as a staff, that the agent can bring to bear on the transaction. A bonus would be if somebody has a team or an assistant. That's just kind of a good sign that they have got their business structure together.
Steer clear of agents who work in real estate only part time. They are probably doing that and something else, whether it is raising a family or doing another job. You do want somebody who is fully devoted to being either a sales or a buyers agent.
7. Call references
Finally, consumers should ask agents for a list of clients they have represented recently. References are good, but the thing that most people don't do is they don't call them. Call them. When speaking with references, consumers should try to find out as many details as possible about the agent's performance during previous transactions.
Finally, consumers should ask agents for a list of clients they have represented recently. References are good, but the thing that most people don't do is they don't call them. Call them. When speaking with references, consumers should try to find out as many details as possible about the agent's performance during previous transactions.
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