Did you know there are over 1.3 million real estate agents in the United States?
With so many to pick from, choosing a real estate agent can seem overwhelming.
Are you looking to buy a house? If so, you will definitely need a real estate agent to help you throughout the process, and you’ll no doubt want the best real estate agent for your particular needs.
Read on to check out our top five tips for finding a real estate agent that you will love working with.
1. Ask Questions
One of the most important tips for finding a real estate agent that you will enjoy working with is to ask them questions before officially choosing to work with them.
Getting more information about them is important, but it doesn’t have to feel like an interview. You can meet in person, send them an email, or talk over the phone to get your questions answered.
Be sure to come up with a list to make sure that you remember to ask everything you want to.
Not sure about what you should be asking? Here are a few suggestions:
- How do you usually communicate with your clients?
- Do you work with buyers or sellers?
- Do you work with a team?
- How long have you been doing this?
No matter what questions you choose to add to the list, starting with these basic questions is a great way to learn more about them and what you can expect if you choose to work with them.
2. Compare Agents
If you started looking at homes online before officially diving in, chances are you’ve seen several agents pop up on home listing sites.
It might be tempting to choose the first name you see and get the process started, but it’s best to take your time and compare several agents if possible. There might be a few real estate agents that are wonderful at what they do, but it’s likely that one of them is better suited than the rest for you specifically.
Don’t be afraid to interview multiple agents and compare your interaction with them, their qualifications, and whatever else you talk about to make a decision.
Consider utilizing a referral. Doing this ensures that someone you know has already had a good enough experience with this particular person that they’re willing to pass their name along to others.
If you’re house-hunting in the Tampa Bay or St. Pete areas, be sure to add Alex to your list of agents to check out. You can learn more about Alex here.
3. Evaluate Their Skill
While there are likely thousands of real estate agents in any given area to choose from, not each of them is equal when it comes to their skill.
Having a skilled real estate agent could be the difference between you ending up with the home of your dreams and searching for so long that you give up.
To evaluate their skill, it’s best to investigate them through their online presence before asking them direct questions if possible. Take a look at their current and previous listings if you can. Are the homes in line with what you’re looking for?Â
If they have a website, is it professional-looking? Does it showcase all necessary information about them?
Definitely search for reviews from previous clients to see how people liked working with them and what their experience was like.
4. Evaluate Response Time
Before narrowing down your real estate agent choices, consider another very important aspect: their response time. Throughout your process of choosing a real estate agent, you will likely have called, emailed, or texted the person several times.
What’s their response time like? Do they get back to you within minutes or take hours, maybe even days to reply?Â
You need to be realistic. You can’t expect them to reply in a matter of minutes every time, especially if you’re reaching out to them at odd times. However, if it takes longer than you would prefer for them to get back to you, and when they finally do they don’t seem to answer any questions fully, that is definitely an indicator of what your entire time with them will be like.
You should aim for finding a real estate agent that answers in a timely manner consistently, and clearly communicates times when they won’t be available so you know what to expect throughout the process.
5. Trust Your Gut
This suggestion might seem obvious, but all too often our gut can be ignored if we feel pressure to make a quick decision.
If a real estate agent seems to be a good fit after taking into account all of the steps above, but something still feels off, it is best to go in another direction. Sometimes people’s personalities just don’t match up with ours, and that’s okay.
You’ll likely be spending a lot of time with whichever real estate agent you choose as you go through the home buying process, so you want to make sure that you feel comfortable around this person.
If something seems off, keep looking and you will eventually find someone that fits all of your needs and feel secure when you choose them to be your real estate agent.
Choosing a Real Estate Agent: Get Started
If you’re considering buying a house now or any time soon, get started with the process of choosing a real estate agent as soon as possible.
Throughout the process, make sure to ask any questions you have, evaluate their skill and response time, compare multiple agents if possible, and trust your gut when it comes time to make a final decision.
If you follow the tips outlined here, you will surely end up with a real estate agent that you love working with!
If you enjoyed the information in this article, take a look at our other real estate articles to learn more tips and information about the home buying process.Â
