HOW TO CHOOSE A REALTOR

Buying or selling a home is an exciting time and you can help the process go smoothly by selecting the right agent for you. How might you go about doing that? Here are some things to consider.

Interview realtors.  Yes, you can and should interview realtors to help you with buying or selling!

• I would recommend choosing three agents to interview. Consider the knowledge of the area you are looking in or where you will be listing your home. It’s so important that they work in your area frequently.
• It’s also important to find out about their experience and results. Find out how long they’ve been in the business, whether they generally work with buyers and/or sellers or both, and why they should get your business.
• Check out their testimonials online to see if they are satisfying clients they work with or if the testimonials are nonexistent. You’d be surprised!

With buyers in mind, you’ll want to find someone who can operate on a similar schedule for showings and knows the neighborhoods well where you are looking. Many experienced agents limit their hours so they aren’t available 24/7 and some specifically limit evening work if that doesn’t suit them. If you are only available after 5 o’clock that just wouldn’t be a good fit. Be upfront about your expectations about showings. I like to plan ahead for showings so that sellers are ready and so we can try to see multiple homes at a time. I also make sure my buyers get into homes they are anxious to see in the Spring when our market is the busiest.

For sellers, I think it’s important to see how the agents listings are presented online. Are the photographs professional, is the description well written, and are there any other details that make that listing stand apart from the rest? What other marketing do they do for their listings outside of the MLS? For example, I do floorplan drawings for my listings, send out just listed postcards, post to social media, and have aerial photos as well as drone video done depending on the property.

Ultimately, you’re going to have the best experience if you choose the agent you like and you think you would be happy working with. After all, you will be communicating regularly. Look for similar core values, a passion for real estate, direct answers to your questions, and honesty.