The home buying or selling process is not everyone’s cup of tea. As this is one of the biggest financial decisions of your life, so, you should know all about a good real estate agent.
The best real estate agent is one having diverse experience in the Real estate field. He will listen to your queries and clear all your doubts regarding the real estate market.
To hire the right one, you should know how to find a great real estate agent?
Though there are several real estate agents available online and in the real estate markets. But, with so many experienced real estate professionals, finding the right one can be a tedious task.
To ease this task, we’ve compiled some tips to let you understand how to find a good real estate agent. We are sure these tips will help you find a real pro agent. Here’s how should start with:
6 Easiest Ways to Find a Good Real Estate Agent
Nowadays, you can easily search online for real estate agent listings in your neighborhood within a few clicks. All thanks to Google! You’ll easily find detailed information about all the agents enlisted on various renowned real estate websites.
The real estate sites allow you to check the complete list of your neighborhood agents. You will get there the brief details of their past client testimonials and current listings.
The current listings feature is one of the most useful features that you can use to find the best real estate agent. You can use this information to find those agents who’ve recently worked with the buyers or sellers in the locality you’re looking.
If you’re Selling your Home, it also lets you find how each real estate agent market their new listings and information. The information will include professional photographs, video tour, online reviews and more.
1. Visit Open Houses
You should visit open property houses where you can easily meet different realtors and interact with them in a stress-free environment.
Ask them for their business cards and create notes about the real estate agents you meet.
Focus on how the realtor is presenting the home in case you’re planning to sell your home. You’re searching for somebody who is amiable, instructive, and who seems proficient. You need somebody who gives out professional-looking marketing material about the home.
The best real estate agent will show you perfect pointing out features regarding home. He’ll also give you live home tours instead of the one sitting idle in their offices and ignoring you.
2. Regularly Check Newspaper Advertisements
Real estate agents run marketing advertisements to sell their specific properties and boost their presence online.
Take a look at your nearby community newspaper for house advertisements in your targeted areas.
Then thoroughly check the websites of the real estate agents promoting themselves via newspaper or online ads. You never know if these realtors could be proficient ones in your neighborhood.
3. Analyze Potential Agents
Start by investigating their presence on their online portals, websites and reference sites that recommend them.
Check their sites and social media accounts thoroughly and analyze all their promotional posts. Readout their online reviews. Don’t worry, in case you find one or two negative reviews for them. But, if there are over a couple of negative audits against them, then it could be a warning sign for you.
Also, you should connect with your state’s real estate regulator to know about whether the agent you’re planning to hire has a valid license or not.
4. Take Interviews of At Least Two or Three Realtor
This is the best chance for you to know all about the real estate agent’s working style as well as their past experience. At last, you want a Real Estate Agent who is well familiar with the specific area and know your financial needs.
The interview process also gives you an opportunity to recognize the realtor’s favored way of communication with the clients and their availability.
In case you’re more open to messaging and hope to visit homes after work hours during the week, you’ll need a real estate agent who’s glad to do the same.
5. Ask References and Verify Them
Request real estate agents to give detail information about the homes they’ve listed recently and sold before.
Also, ask the contact information of their recent clients. Connect those clients to figure out their past experience and what kind of support the real estate agent provided them throughout the home buying process, including the price and commission negotiations.
Ask them if they will hire that realtor again for their next real estate purchase.
Go well prepared whole contacting with their past clients. Consider the following questions to ask those clients:
- How was your overall experience dealing with this agent?
- Do you think, he is the best real estate agent? If, yes then what did you like the most about this agent?
- When you Sold Your Home, how did the realtor helped you market your property?
- Do you think the market process proved effective? How long was your home listed for sale in the market?
- Were they a good listener? And, were they quickly responded to every phone call and email of yours?
- Do you feel this real estate agent helped you get the best possible sale price?
6. Thoroughly Verify Their Official License
It’s difficult to believe that somebody would lie about being an authorized realtor, yet it happens.
Luckily, there’s a simple route for buyers to check that a real estate agent has a legitimate license or not.
There Real Estate License Law Officials offer an accessible database that enables home buyers or sellers to confirm any realtor’s registration or official license.
So, you can cross-check the validity of their license online as well as offline visiting Law Officials Centers.
Final Thoughts
The home buying and selling are quite emotional and distressing for some reason.
A lot of things are at risk and it’s one of the greatest financial decisions of one’s life so, finding the best real estate agent is the best way to ensure that this biggest financial transaction goes well and everybody walks away happily.
It would help if you realized what you want, what you need and what you’re comfortable with before closing the final deal. Do proper research. Yeah! It takes a lot of time and effort, but hiring the right real estate agent will pay you a lot of benefits in the long run.
Have you any experience with a great or not-so-great real estate agent during your home buying or selling process? Do share with us in the comments below. We would love to know about it!