Updated Oct 11, 2022
Updated Oct 11, 2022
Hiring the right real estate professionals to help you buy or sell a home is critical in finding your dream home or making the most of your home’s sale.
A good realtor will show you great finds on the market immediately after they are posted, give you valuable insights into the industry, and counsel you about the buying and selling process. However, 34% of buyers say that they wouldn’t hire their most recent agent again, which makes you wonder how you can avoid ending up with regrets when hiring a realtor.
In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know for hiring the right realtor so that you can save yourself from a lot of headaches during your real estate transaction.
Before beginning your search for a realtor, start by making preparations for either selling or buying a home. Here are some of the must-take steps we recommend to help you find the right realtor for your situation.
If you’re buying a home:
If you’re selling your home:
Much like any other field or industry, realtors frequently specialize in either helping others buy or sell homes. They may also work within specific neighborhoods or with certain types of homes.
During the home buying process, look at your housing priority list and budget. Consider what realtors are known for helping buyers shop for that kind of property within your budget. For example, some realtors specialize in selling luxury condos or apartments, so if you’re looking for a lovely country home, you’d want to look elsewhere.
If you’re selling, look for realtors who are already familiar with, and may have even sold, homes in your neighborhood or area.
Ask friends and family in your area for realtor recommendations. Take note of any realtors with whom your friends and family had a bad experience, and avoid working with this individual.
You’ll want to look for a realtor with experience working with clients with similar needs to yourself. For example, if you’re a first-time house buyer looking for a big family home, your needs will differ from someone downsizing and moving into a condo.
If you’ve worked with a great realtor before, but they no longer work in real estate or don’t specialize in this type of project, ask them for a recommendation.
Take note of all recommendations and reach out to these realtors for your next step.
If you don’t receive many positive recommendations or don’t have a lot of friends and family in the area, you’ll need to research realtors another way.
Look for official referral sources, like the NAR’s Find a Realtor form. You can also contact local real estate brokerage companies. We recommend looking for a nationally known company or a local, independent brokerage with a strong reputation.
If these attempts don’t provide you with enough options, consider contacting a referral agent. Real estate referral agents can connect you with a great local agent through their many connections. This step may be especially helpful if you’re looking to buy a property out of state and don’t have any connections in that local market.
Don’t go with the first realtor that’s recommended to you. Ideally, you’ll want to interview three to four agents you received recommendations for or found during your research.
Use the following tips to assess their work ethic, success rate, and if you think they’ll be a good fit for your project:
Whether you are buying or selling, looking for a realtor, not a real estate agent, has certain advantages.
While these terms are thrown around interchangeably, the difference between the two is that a realtor is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which means they adhere to a strict code of ethics. Many realtors will even have certifications showing that they’ve completed specific education for different types of real estate.
Consider looking for the following certifications when hiring a realtor:
Do your homework before interviewing a realtor in person.
Check your state’s real estate regulator agency to verify that the agent is currently licensed and if they have any disciplinary actions against them.
Does the realtor have a professional social media presence? Examine their social media and website for additional information on them. Look at online reviews for the agent and the agent’s brokerage.
Don’t fret about a negative review here or there, but if you see many negative comments about the agent, we recommend scratching them off your candidate list since this is a red flag. The Better Business Bureau is a great place to look for complaints and reviews.
Consider these questions when looking at realtor reviews:
If the answer is yes to many of these, then you’re probably ready for the next step — interviewing a couple of stellar realtors.
Even if you believe you’ve found the perfect realtor, we recommend meeting with several realtors before hiring one.
In-person interviews are critical to finding an agent with the style and experience you need and finding someone who also meshes well with your personality and needs. A realtor can be perfect on paper for you, but if you don’t vibe with them, it can be much harder to work with them successfully.
Take note of how professional and polished the realtor’s proposal is when interviewing them. If you’re a seller, the proposal you are presented with will likely match the quality of the proposal your potential buyers will see, so this is critical.
Don’t be shy when meeting with the realtors. Ask them plenty of questions about the types of homes they help others buy or sell, the neighborhoods they work in, their typical price range, what the agent’s commission fee is, and how they help buyers and sellers stay competitive in the current housing market.
Explain to the realtor what your work hours are and when you’d be available to visit homes or meet with them about your home. If you prefer a specific communication method, such as phone calls, texts, or emails, ask them if they are comfortable communicating this way.
Don’t be afraid to turn down an agent’s proposal, even if they are great on paper. Go with your gut and choose someone excellent on paper and who suits your personality and preferences. The right chemistry between the two of you will make the buying or selling process much more enjoyable and straightforward.
Ask realtors you’re seriously considering for references before signing on with them. Ask for references for a few recent clients that they’ve listed homes for or help find homes.
Call these clients and ask them about their experiences with the realtor, how supportive the realtor was with them, and how they handled negotiations. Don’t forget to ask them the most telling question — Would you hire this real estate agent again?
Finding the right realtor can make or break the home buying or selling process. Real estate deals are already stressful enough between the pressure of making the right choice or trying to maximize your home’s profits. Don’t make the process more stressful by signing with the first realtor you meet with or are recommended.
Even the best fit on paper can turn out to not be the right fit for you if they work with clients at different hours than you’d like, don’t offer certain features you need, or aren’t knowledgeable about the neighborhood you live in or want to live in. Take your time and thoroughly research and interview several candidates before signing a contract with a good real estate agent.
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