So you are ready to buy a home. Or perhaps you are selling. You might be buying your first home, or you might be moving up into a larger house. Whether you are looking for a Realtor to help you sell your home or to help you find that first perfect home there are many factors to consider. Many people think of family or friends first. If one of your friends or relatives has a real estate license, they’ve surely made it clear that they would like the job. But is that the best solution for you?

Use the same criteria you would for picking a doctor or lawyer of other professional. If your friend is a professional in the field of real estate, they must understand that they’ll have to compete for your business. There is also the danger that if you hire your friend and things don’t turn out well, the relationship might suffer.

What about a Realtor who lives in and ‘farms’ your neighborhood? Knowledge of your neighborhood or the neighborhood in which you are looking to purchase is important, however you need to find an agent with knowledge of the recent sales, the schools, the businesses and factors important to you. They will need to be selecting homes to view that meet your criteria. If you are selling your home they will need to find buyers that are looking for a home with the features of yours in a neighborhood like yours.

Do you want an independent agent or one that works for a large company. There are some advantages to using an agent who works with a big company. They are able to stay open longer because they have more staff. This makes it more likely that they’ll be there to answer phone calls from home buyers inquiring about your house. They have larger budgets so they can run more ads. The larger offices also offer resources like ongoing training for their agents.

Many Realtors will work for less than the standard commission. Should you just choose the best price? Everyone wants to save money, but is this a smart strategy? You’ve heard that you get what you pay for. A low commissioned salesperson may put you in the multiple listing and hang their sign on your property but will they do what it takes to sell your house or find you that first home?

As a seller you may want an agent that agrees with what you consider the value of your home. They are buying your listing. New listings get the most attention. If it’s priced competitively, your home will be seen by a lot of serious buyers. If it is priced too high, no one will bother to show it to their clients. If you then drop your price you may be viewed as desperate and you may get lower offers than you would have if you had priced the property correctly from the start.

When you’re buying a home, you want a Realtor to sort through the homes on the market and show you those that meet your needs and fall within your means. Some agents will focus in on your price range only and show you homes that are less expensive. Others will show you homes that are out of your reach in the hope that you will stretch a little financially to make it work. A good Realtor will listen to you and work on your behalf. To paraphrase and old saying, “They should use their two ears twice as much as their one mouth”.

The best buyers’ agents are those who find the home that best meets your needs, including financial. That doesn’t mean that the perfect home is available at a low price. It just means that they will listen to you and find the best available home. If you are selling your home, the Realtor’s ability to market it and negotiate the best combination of price and terms is what matters. The common denominator here is a Realtor with good communications skills and a thorough knowledge of the local real estate market. It is your decision to buy or sell and your decision who will help you with that process.

Author Bio: Whether you’re buying a new home in Chula Vista or Des Moines, selecting a good Realtor is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. The right real estate agent can help you with everything from locating the right house to negotiating the price, from finding a mortgage to getting the sale closed.

Category: Real Estate
Keywords: real estate, realtors, real estate agents