One of the biggest investments you’ll ever make is a home, and one of the most
important decisions you’ll make when buying or selling is who to work with as your
real estate agent. That’s why it’s essential to take time to find the right person. The
best way to do that is to treat it like a job interview: Find agents and attend open
houses to see how they operate, ask questions, and interview them as though you
were interviewing them for a position (though don’t ask friends and family to
recommend their agents; that can get awkward).
Many of the most effective real estate agents have experience in both buying and
selling homes, but if you want to narrow your search to specific neighborhoods, you
can also focus on the skills that the agent uses to sell homes there. You can learn a
lot about an agent from their online presence, including listings they’ve sold, photos,
reviews and other personal details. Use a site that compiles agent info, such as
NerdWallet’s free Agent Finder tool, to help you compare candidates.
A good listing agent should explain to you how they plan to market your home and
who their target audience is. This should include a discussion of your goals, such as
how many showings you want and the maximum amount of time you’re willing to
have your house on the market.
You’ll also want to consider whether the agent will be working with a team. Teams
can be effective, but make sure you’ll have enough direct access to the agent if
something comes up during the process. Ask each agent how they communicates—
via text, email or phone calls?—and how much they’ll charge for their services.
While it’s important to choose an experienced agent, you should also consider their
personality and communication style, as well as their overall level of customer
service. The most successful agents are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, but
they should also be patient and empathetic with any concerns or frustrations you
may have. Also read https://www.homebuyingguys.com/texas/
If you’re buying a home, be wary of working with an agent who tells you they have
the best marketing strategy for your particular area, or who tries to push a certain
type of property that you don’t want. A good agent will be able to back up their
claims with facts and statistics, but they’ll also understand your preferences and be
willing to work within them.
A big mistake people often make when choosing a real estate agent is picking the
first person they talk to. As with any job interview, it’s essential to prepare ahead of
time and have a list of questions that you can use to evaluate each candidate. It’s
also a good idea to interview at least three or four potential agents, so you can
compare their experiences and skill sets. Once you’ve found the perfect match, they
can guide you through the home-buying or selling process with ease and success.
