The Cheater’s Guide to finding a Great

Realtor

A good Realtor will help you find your dream home in the locality that you were really after and in your budget. They are professional, courteous, understanding and patient. It’s as simple as that. A good Realtor knows that you are investing your hard-earned money in buying a wonderful house which will eventually become your home. It’s an once-in-a-lifetime expense and they should ensure that you get exactly what you need. But not all Realtors are like that. Some fly-by-night estate agents will stick you with a house which seemed good at the time but is really unsuitable for your requirements. Before you buy a house, you have to choose a Realtor and here is how you should do it.

Step no 1- Type of agent You want a Realtor who is a buyer’s agent. He should work primarily for you as you are the buyer and he should negotiate the price to your benefit. He will get a set payment of the cost of the deal or a percentage of the entire deal. These points have to be negotiated beforehand. Real estate agents also have a fiduciary responsibility towards to. That means they have to legally disclose everything about the house and the seller to you before you purchase the house. Most real estate agents will also have websites which are a good way of finding out how they work. Some websites might have customer testimonials but they might not really be reliable. Make sure that you get in touch with each realtor you are interested in and discuss your requirements before finalize the deal. You can use the National Association of Realtors website to find out more details about the types of agents.

Step no 2- Reputation Word of mouth publicity is the best way to choose a Realtor. For example, ask your friends, family and colleagues who have bought a home recently to find a good agent. Friends and family will also have information on which agents are not good and they will let you know if you ask. Another option is to check online by googling the term ‘Realtor’ followed by your city name. The website will provide a list of options that you can pick from. You can also use the National Association of Realtors to find a Realtor located close to you. If you want to check their online reputation, put the Realtors name in the search engine box and add the term ‘good bad’ after it. This will immediately throw up a list of people who have written good or bad things about your chosen Realtor. Another option is to check the multiple listing service (MLS) reports of the sales that were done in the last few years. However, we do suggest that you take this information with a pinch of salt. It’s not possible to suit every customer who buys a house and there will be good and bad reviews online. Read them but make your own decision.

Step no 3- Market knowledge and negotiation skills Your Realtor should be able to accurately judge the market and negotiate the rates for your benefit. The best way to evaluate this is by observing the Realtor when you meet them. Good negotiators speak carefully and listen to everything you have to say. They speak the right words, never get angry and don’t say anything that could damage the deal. The agent should go the extra mile to get your deal through at the best rate possible.

Step no 4- License All real estate agents must be high school graduates and they must be licensed in the state they are working in. Prospective brokers have to pass an examination and they are registered with a national agency. This means if there is a problem with the deal or the house that you have purchased, you can hold the realtor responsible. The agent should also have a licensed assistant that you can get in touch with. Good estate agents usually have many clients and they can be busy. They should however, relegate an assistant to help you out in case of problems.

A decent Realtor will make sure that you are happy with the deal that you have made. Before you finalize one person, make sure that you interview and talk to as many agents as possible. You should be able to trust the sales person you have selected This is the only way to make an informed decision. If someone seems too much like a salesman looking out for himself, avoid him and find someone who will work for you and your needs.