When it becomes time to buy a new home, it only makes sense to hire a real estate agent. They work to guide you along the way throughout the entire home-buying process and always provide you with a direct source of knowledge to answer all of your questions. If you’re just starting to look for a real estate agent, we’re going to share with you our best tips for finding the right one to meet your needs.
Ask for Referrals
One of the best ways to narrow down your search to get a good real estate agent is to ask for referrals. Choose people whose judgment you trust when asking. For example, ask family members, friends, and even co-workers. Most people are likely to only pass on referrals to agents that they like and have had success with in the past. Getting this first-hand knowledge is irreplaceable when finding a great agent.
Verify Credentials
It can be easy to start looking for houses without actually checking the credentials of a potential agent. This could get you into some trouble later on down the road. To avoid any issues, simply check the credentials of any real estate agent you’re thinking of hiring. You can check online to verify that their real estate license is valid and discover any past disciplinary actions or complaints against them that could potentially raise a red flag.
See Their Online Track Record
Most agents will have a presence on all the major real estate platforms, such as Zillow, Realtor, and Trulia. Take a moment to go through their records and see how many properties they’re helping people buy. Most platforms will record the sales date, so you can see how many properties an agent assisted their clients in buying within the last 30, 60, or even 90 days. Real estate agents with higher sales numbers are going to be the best to hire as their movers in their industry.
Make Sure They Work in Your Area
In reality, most real estate agents are licensed to work within a specific state. While this may be useful for them, you don’t want to fall into the trap of hiring an agent who doesn’t know your area too well. You want to choose a real estate agent that’s active in the community where you want to purchase a new home. They will have upfront knowledge about recent sale prices, problem properties, and so forth.
Set Up a Consultation Appointment
Lastly, you want to schedule a consultation appointment with a real estate agent before signing any paperwork. This way, you can get a feel for how they are as a person and see if their style is compatible with yours. You want to be working with an agent who you are confident in and can work beside to find your dream home. You never want to overlook this step as you could find yourself stuck in a contract with an agent that may be too pushy or not attentive enough for your liking.
