Choose the Right Realtor
Whether you are looking to sell or purchase a house or other piece of real estate, having the right Realtor® working for you is essential. Realtors® -- that is, real estate professionals who are members of the National Association of Realtors® and who subscribe to the association's strict code of ethics and behavior -- are experts in all aspects of real estate transactions and will be your advocate and guide through buying or selling property.
First, you need to work only with Realtors® whose real estate licenses are active and in good standing -- you can easily check with the state to verify licensure; in fact, many states now have on-line databases where you can look-up your Realtor's® licensing. Being licensed shows that the Realtor® is serious about their profession and understanding of their ethical obligations to their clients.
Next, you need to find out if the Realtor(s)® you are interviewing is a member of or subscribes to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which is a specialized database for all of the houses and other properties on the market. Some real estate professionals will also subscribe to other, less well-know listing services for a specific area, but these optional listing services do not have all of the listings contained in the MLS.
You should strive to find out which Realtors® are active in your area. You can look at advertisements in newspapers, informational flyers, yard signs, and various websites -- in fact, websites are an excellent way to get a sense of the professional's expertise: do they specialize in high-end or more moderate properties? Are they specialists in residential real estate? Do they have listings in lots of different neighborhoods or do they concentrate on a specific few? Is their website well-organized and easy to navigate? All of these are important considerations.
Further, you need to find out what kind of information the Realtor® has access to. In addition to the MLS subscription, are they familiar with the area? Do they know crime rates? How about the best schools? What do they know about commute times to the larger local employers? Does the Realtor® have access to multiple advertising sources? The latter is essential when you want to sell a home.
Another important consideration is whether the Realtor® is independent or works in a real estate firm. There are advantages to both, but the stronger argument is in favor of finding someone who works with other agents -- they will have access to the most information and have the firm's funding behind them.
You also need to look at the personality of the Realtor(s)® you are considering working with. That may seem like a superficial consideration, but you must find someone that you can trust, confide in, and who is competent. You are going to be spending a lot of time with this person -- make sure that they're someone you enjoy being around and that you can freely talk with.
There are some good questions you can ask any Realtor® that you are considering working with; the answers will give you some sense of their experience and professionalism:
• How long have they worked in the area?
• How many homes have they helped to sell in the past few months?
• Are they able to provide references to satisfied clients?
• Are they actively pursuing additional real estate training or other professional courses?
• Are they a full-time Realtor® or is this a part-time job for them?
• What steps will they take to make sure you are happy with the buying or selling experience?
When you start your search for a Realtor®, you can ask friends, neighbors, and co-workers if they have anyone that they would recommend, especially if they have recently purchased or sold a home. Your friends may have already done their research and found the perfect real estate professional -- there is no need for you to go through the same efforts. However, you still need to make sure that the person you are being referred to meets the previous requirements -- they are essential to a good buying or selling experience.