Steps
- Meet agents out in their working environment, not in their offices. Good agents spend very little time at their desks.
- A good 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.
- Another good method is to contact the agent with whom a friend or relative worked. If this agent produced positive results for a friend of yours, there's a good chance s/he will do the same for you.
- Use Google as an interview tool. Google the agents name that you are considering hiring. You will quickly find out whether the agent is web savvy or not. Having a web savvy agent is very important today as over 85% of all buyers find their homes online. When you "Google" an agents name their should be pages and pages of results. If a Realtor does not know how to market themselves online how could you possibly expect them to market your home well.
- Interview a couple agents. Whether you are looking for a buyer agent or seller agent
- Look for signs that the agent is busy. A hard-working, go-getter of an agent is what you want. But if you feel slighted, like if your agent spends most of his time with you on his cellphone with another customer, find a different agent.Or if he / she passes you on to an "assistant" it means the agent you hired is not the one who is going to be working with you along the line.
- It is important that your agent is knowledgeable. Ask questions about things you have learned through your new-found interest in real estate. If she doesn't know substantially more than you - after all, this is her livelihood! - go on to another prospective agent. Local knowledge is particularly critical.
- A good agent is important to you when buying a home for the first time. She should be able to guide you through the mire of paperwork and lenders that you will have to wade through.
- View the agent website and see how he/she is using content to market themselves.
- See how the agent and the brokerage come up in search listings with Google and Yahoo for your neighborhood and look at their online listings of other properties.
- How big is the brokerage... a "one man show" may not be what you want. You want an agent that will network and work cooperatively with other agents, and comes from an active office.
- Check her references that she should provide in your first interview.
- Ask your agent where they live. An agent that lives and works locally will have his / her finger on the pulse of the market and be able to answer important questions about the community.
- 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 REALTORS should generally recommend more than one provider and should tell you if they receive any compensation from any provider.
- Ask how long s/he has been a realtor. It is not that newer agents aren't capable. It just is a fact you should know to factor in to make an informed decision. Many "experienced" agents are not always the best choice either. Especially if they haven't kept up with technology.
- Ask the agent if s/he is a full time agent. Is this her only job? You don't want to timeshare.
- Ask Who the agent is working for in the transaction, the buyer or the seller.
- 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.
- TIPS:
- Don't expect an agent to call you instantly when you leave a message.
- Expect that she will call you back in a reasonable amount of time when she has results or knows the answer.
- Don't call your agent after hours, past 7 pm or so. She has a life too.
- This is your most important transaction of your life, she does this everyday. Try not to become so emotional about every little thing.
- Your house / or the house you are buying is a commodity try not to become too emotionally invested in it.
Sources and Citations
- http://www.first-time-home-buying.net
- Jacksonville Florida Appraisers - An excellent source of Counties, Cites and Appraisers in the state of Florida.
- Stockton Real Estate - An Excellent Source for Buy and Selling Real Estate in Stockton
- Selling your home in a buyers market
- Picking the right Realtor
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