When looking for a real estate professional to assist you in either the purchase of a property or in the selling of a property, it is important to keep in mind that looking for a realtor is really shopping, just as you would do if you were searching for a good auto mechanic, physician, dentist or anyone in which you seek professional assistance from.

An excellent place to shop for quite anything is the internet. Now that we have the internet, there is literally an endless index floating in cyberspace where you can find that perfect real estate brokerage company that houses the finest real estate professionals. There are many directories online that list real estate companies that have their own websites, where you can meet the agents online, read their bios, accolades, years in the industry, and where their areas of expertise in real estate lie. When shopping for a realtor, look for one who markets themselves aggressively by having their own personal website, genuinely is concerned about the interest of their clients, and one who offers superior service.

Now that we have the Internet, you have more information at your fingertips than buyers from the past. A superior real estate agent focuses only on the client, and not themselves. If you find a real estate agent that just boasts about how much they have sold, brags about how many designations they hold, etc. then perhaps that agent is not the one to go with.

Back in the day when the real estate market was booming, many agents got caught up with the gravy train. There was no need to heavily market themselves because buyers were flooding real estate offices overly eager to purchase whatever they could get their hands on. Now that we are in a different realm of the real estate industry, a buyer’s market, agents have to work much harder to market themselves to bring in buyers. Some real estate agents sit around and wait for the phone to ring or for a walk-in to come into the office when they are on duty, or wait for a lead to contact them via e-mail. Then there are the real estate agents who are consistent with sending weekly listing updates, email blasts, conducting open houses throughout various days of the week, work through the weekends and often late into the evening. Now whether you are a buyer or a seller, which agent would you want to work for you?

Another great way to shop for a realtor other than the internet is to speak to professionals who work with real estate professionals to get their opinion. Professionals like reps who work for a title company, a homeowner insurance agent, a loan officer, a licensed home inspector or a licensed real estate appraiser are excellent individuals to ask whom they would recommend to represent you in your real estate endeavor. Title companies are a good place to start, because the deal only with real estate whereas if you speak to a mortgage loan officer, be sure that it is someone who only deals with deeds and mortgages, and not refi’s because a refi does not deal directly with a real estate professional on a regular basis, and they may not know who to recommend, or they may just give you a name of a real estate agent that may not be the best agent for you.

Or, you could just pick up the phone and make calls to real estate brokerage companies and speak directly to the broker of the agency. Inquire about how many agents are employed by the company, ask who the seasoned agents are, their qualifications, their areas of expertise (whether their strong suit is in listing or if they are primarily a buyer’s agent), and ask about the commission structure, how your property will be marketed, and who they would recommend to represent you based on your needs. Once the broker has offered their recommendation, set up an appointment with that realtor and meet them face to face. Look at this as the opportune time as if you were interviewing a potential employee for a position within your company. Remember you want someone to best represent your company, someone you will be able to trust, who will genuinely be concerned about you and your interests. They must demonstrate exceptional communication skills, and excellent knowledge of the real estate industry along with its trends, is savvy about the real estate market and specific areas in which you are looking to purchase or one who is highly experienced in marketing your property for sale. In addition, you will want to select an real estate agent who can answer your questions pretty much on the fly, has great understanding of debt to income ratios if you are a buyer, and if you are a seller, can provide fairly quick comps to show you how and why you should price your property where they recommend. Also you want a good real estate agent to be straight up with you, honest and direct rather than one who tells you only what you want to hear. Realtors act on your behalf, looking out for your best interests rather than their own. If the realtor you are interviewing constantly talks about themselves and has an air of arrogance in any way, keep shopping. Or if the agent appears to be unethical in any way, or makes comments or conducts business in that manner, look elsewhere and file a complaint with the Florida Real Estate Commission. Real estate is very serious business. It is rigorously regulated by the Florida Real Estate Commission, which adheres to the strictest code of ethics and any real estate agent who does not adhere to these ethics and guidelines can suffer serious consequences.

Shopping for a the perfect realtor should be taken very seriously, and once a decision is made, you can rest a little easier knowing that you have a real estate professional on your side, one who looks at only what is best for you.

Author Bio: Tim Ryan specializes in helping buyers find great deals on Naples Real Estate. You can visit Tim\’s website where you can find thousands of Naples homes for sale. http://www.naplesguru.com http://www.naplespark.com

Category: Real Estate
Keywords: real estate agent, real estate advice, realtor