
Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you make in your life. However, you want to make sure that the process goes easier and smoother and that you are aware of all the good and the bad, so you can be sure that you’re investing your hard-earned money in the right place.
That’s when you have to ensure that you work with an expert and professional real estate agent like the ones available at the well-established Coldwell Banker Reliable Real Estate.
With a plethora of real estate agents available in the market, picking the one that will make your home-buying process a breeze may be overwhelming. Therefore, we’ll talk about how you can find a good real estate agent in this article to ensure you hire a pro.
1. Get Referrals from Family and Friends
When finding a reliable and expert real estate agent, you can always ask your family members and friends. You won’t have to worry about their professionalism and expertise as they can better provide genuine feedback.
However, you should ensure that the real estate agent they refer to worked in the same case as you. For instance, when looking for recommendations for a real estate agent in your network as a first-time homebuyer, they should refer someone with expertise in first-time homebuyers.
2. Research Potential Agents
Once you have shortlisted real estate agents that you want to work with, it’s time to research them. Even if your family and friends have recommended them, it’s still better to be on the safe side and do your own research as well.
Look them up on social media sites and search engines like Google. Go through the reviews and comments carefully and make sure they don’t have too many bad reviews. If they have plenty of bad reviews, it’s better to take a step back from them.
Here, you should also ensure that your real estate agent’s license is legit. All real estate agents receive a state license, which confirms they can legally help you buy or sell properties. To check their license, visit your state’s real estate commission website.
3. Interview Real Estate Agents
After you’re at peace and trust your potential agent enough to work with them, you should interview them. It’s better to interview at least three agents to make it easier for you to make the best decision for your needs.
Interviewing them will help you assess their knowledge, professionalism, and expertise. This will also allow you to ask them how often they communicate and their communication methods so you don’t have additional stress due to lack of communication down the road.
You should ask them questions like:
- How long have they been working as a real estate agent?
- Do they work part-time or full-time?
- What kinds of clients have they dealt with, and what is their working process?
- How do they help clients find the best home/neighborhood according to their preferences and budget?
These questions can give a better idea of how sincere they are about their clients and their overall approach. If you’re a first-time buyer, you should specifically ask about those related to such clients.
4. Request References
You should ask the agent that you’re willing to work with to give you information on the previous clients for you to contact. This way, you can get in touch with them and ask whatever questions you have in your mind.
For example,
- How did they accommodate you throughout the process?
- Would you hire them again?
- How did the agent support them during the process?
This should give you a clear idea by now as to if your real estate agent is worth working with and whether they will be able to exceed your expectations.
5. Carefully Read the Contract
Now that you have opted for a good real estate agent to work with, they will hand over a contract to you. You must read the terms and conditions carefully and ask them questions in case of confusion.
Usually, the commission fee is to be paid by the seller, not the buyer, which is around 6% of the home price and split between the seller’s and buyer’s agent (3%). Typically, the commission fees are negotiable, and you can always talk to your agent.
Moreover, make sure the length of the contract is not greater than six months, as you don’t want to bind yourself for too long in case they aren’t able to find a home of your choice. This way, you won’t have to worry about violating the contract and switching agents.
6. Avoid Bad Real Estate Agents
When looking for a good and professional real estate agent, you might come across some bad ones. You need to look out for these signs to ensure you stay away from them:
- Inexperienced
- Lack of leadership
- Poor listeners
- Poor communication
- More focus on the commission than on helping you
- Too much attitude
The Bottom Line
Finding a good real estate agent isn’t as hard as you think, once you have conducted your research, and talked thoroughly with the agent that you are willing to work with. Also, make sure you’re aware of the signs of a bad agent. This way, you will be one step away from buying your dream house!