In my last article, I talked about how important it is to speak with a mortgage lender even before you speak with a real estate agent. You really need to do this. Every good real estate agent should give you the same advice. So now let’s talk to the agent. But which agent should I use? Your best bet is to ask someone you know to see who they used. If they were happy with their agent, why not use the same agent. And if they did not like him or her, you know which agent to avoid working with. If you don’t have a referral to work with, then look to see who is selling houses in the area you are looking for. Most agents will have their name on the real estate sign for their listings. This will show you who is active in the neighborhood. If you can’t determine which individual agent to use, you may at least be able to see which real estate companies are in the area. If it’s an active company, several agents may be active in the same area. That should be a good indicator of which company to use.
Now you’ve determined who you want to work with. What houses are we going to see? How does the agent know what I want? This is what you will be discussing the first time you meet with your agent. In many cases, you may sit down with your agent for 30 minutes or longer. The agent will be asking you many questions. You may feel like you are being interviewed. Well, actually you are. The agent will ask you questions to narrow your home search as best as possible. Why would you want to have to look at several homes every Saturday for 3-4 months when the agent may be able to find your new home in only several weeks. The more specific you are with your needs and wishes, the quicker the agent can help you find your new home.
Please watch for my next article where I will go into more detail about working with your real estate agent.