I was recently in an appointment with a woman to sell her home. As we were talking, she asked me, “how do I know which Realtor to choose”. Now, I was taken aback a bit because of course I thought “ obviously me!”. But I realized to this woman, who did not have any clue who I was or the vast skill set and dedication I would bring to her aid, it was not at all obvious.
I answered the woman, and I thought to myself “everyone needs to know how to choose the right Realtor for them”. It is not an easy pick and so many… so so many people just pick a friend or the first Realtor to get to them. Buying and selling your home is not something you should trust anyone with a real estate license to do. Trust me. I know. I am going to give you the questions you need to ask and the things you need to look for when you decide to move. I realized standing in that woman's yard that she does what so few do. I applaud her.
Full-Time
The very first thing I told her was she needs to make sure that her Realtor is a full time Realtor. A full time Realtor is likely to have conducted more transactions therefore having more experience as well as the time and energy to put into your transaction and your sell/purchase. The last thing you want is for your transaction to require critical time sensitive attention and your Realtor can't get to it until they get off work at 5pm. And after all, most things in real estate are critical and time sensitive. There are exceptions. I know some awesome part-time Realtors. There are part- time Realtors who have flexibility in their schedule and who can manage two careers. You will generally find that a full-time Realtor is just that... FULL TIME. We are around the clock, all real estate all the time.
Reviews and Recommendations
We are in an Amazon, Yelp, Google culture. We read reviews on everything. I am planning a trip now and will not schedule anything if I can not read about others experience's first, and why would I? Reviews for everything are right at my fingertips. It would be silly not to make sure I wasn't wasting my money on a poor experience. Why would you not do this with a Realtor? Whether buying or selling, being a good Realtor requires great care and skill. It requires know-how and hard work. It, at times, requires holding your clients hand through every step and fighting on their behalf to make sure it is a fair and honest transaction that is executed with integrity. How will you know if your Realtor is this kind of Realtor if you don't read reviews or seek out their past clients and take their recommendations?
Ask about their experience and pay attention
Please ask your Realtor questions if they don't offer up their experience. Are you wanting to build a home? Ask your Realtor if they have new construction experience and how they can benefit you in your home build. You need a Realtor who knows which questions to ask your builders to get you where you want to be. Are you wanting to rehab a home? Ask your Realtor if they have had any experience in this area. Need to sell your home quickly? Ask your Realtor if they can do so and how. Pay attention to their answers. Yes and No are not answers. Ask for examples.
Pay attention when you meet with your Realtor, and please do always meet with them. It is so much more beneficial to everyone involved to meet face to face. Do they know what they are talking about? Do they have experience in your particular area of interest? Are they full time? Ask for examples of how they have best represented their clients. Do I want to hold up closing for repairs that aren't done correctly? No, but I will because I don't work for the paycheck I work for you. I work for the best interest of my client before and after closing. Ask questions! Good realtors aren't intimidated by them. We appreciate them. The ones who have asked me the hardest questions have been my most satisfied clients. Choose your real estate representation wisely. We are not all the same. Be sure to use that to your benefit and not your detriment.