Purchasing a home is one of the biggest financial investments you will make in your life. Finding a professional real estate agent that you can trust and that has your best interest at heart is a challenging experience and perhaps nerve racking. A well experienced and knowledgeable agent will guide through the various stages of the home buying transaction with ease, confidence and excitement!
Most homebuyers will use a real estate agent to represent them during the home search process, assessing the value of a home and finally putting in an offer or negotiation. A realtor can also help you with the following:
- Keeping up with Real Estate Market Trends, News and Announcements
- Researching current and past MLS listings for market evaluation
- Book private and exclusive showings/tours
- Identify any concerns or red flags in a house or condo
- Renovation suggestions
- Processing all real estate paperwork for purchase offers
Here are 5 tips for you to consider when choosing the right Realtor:
- FIND AN AGENT WHO SPECIALIZES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OR HOME TYPE YOU’RE LOOKING FOR
Before you look for a real estate agent, you’ll have to keep in mind that each agent has their own area of expertise. Some agents specialize in a property type, neighbourhood or budgets, so depending on the kind of home you’re looking for you’ll want to find someone who is knowledgeable with homes that fit the criteria you’re looking for.
- ASK FOR REFERRALS AND READ REVIEWS
Finding a real estate agent isn’t as limited as it used to be, but finding the right agent that really listens to your needs can be very difficult. Asking friends and family for referrals makes it easier to find someone who is more reliable and has a successful track record of working with people you know. Other options can be online real estate brokerages that have a good reputation, local media that might highlight star agents in the news or local magazines and of course the pop-up signs in surrounding neighbourhoods. Most agents will have some kind of online profile so make sure you take the time to review those as well. This could be personal websites, Google or Facebook reviews and social media platforms.
- INTERVIEW THE AGENT BEFORE MAKING A CHOICE
Before making a commitment to an agent, don’t be afraid to ask questions about their experience and knowledge. This will give you a better picture of their character and what it would be like working with them. Here are some questions that you can ask.
- How well do you know this city or neighbourhood?
- How much of your business comes from referrals?
- Are you a full-time agent? And how many years have you been in the business?
- How many homes have you helped sell or purchased in the past year?
- What are your expectations of your clients?
- LOOK FOR HONESTY
A realtor that genuinely has your best interests in mind will be honest with you when it comes to the risks involved with your buying or selling decisions. Rather than an agent that agrees with everything you say, you want a realtor that will tell you the truth or if something is a very bad idea. They should be upfront and guide you in the right direction. An agent should be open to sharing past experiences and any references from past clients.
- CHOOSE SOMEONE WHO YOU FEEL YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WITH
Since you’ll be spending a lot of time during your house hunting journey with your agent, you need someone you’re comfortable sharing concerns with, answers your questions with patience and who is open to sharing their knowledge with you. There will be a lot of back-and-forth communication throughout the home buying process and ultimately you need someone you think you can get along with – trust your sense of character.
Here are some questions to make a note of:
- In your initial communication, was the agent quick to reply?
- Were they proactive about providing information?
- Were they patient when answering your questions?
- Can you see yourself working with them for a month or even a year?
Hopefully these tips will lead you to a lifelong real estate agent that you’ll feel comfortable to call on anytime. The real estate journey is an exciting one and having an agent that understands YOUR needs, by your side, will be an important first step!