Tips for finding the right real estate agent

If you’re in the market for a new home, one of the first things you might be wondering is how you can go about finding the right real estate agent. Whether you’re buying or selling, it’s important to find the right agent who has your best interest in mind. The right agent should be someone you can trust, who will meet your needs and expectations, and who can advocate for you every step of the process. In other words, your agent will be one of the most critical pieces of the home buying or selling process.

That’s why you want to choose the right person to represent you for this type of transaction. To get started, consider the following tips to help you find the right agent.

The 2022 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers says 36 percent of sellers found their agent from friends or family who recommended them. That’s a significant number of people who are relying on the feedback of people they know. And it’s no wonder. According to data from digital marketing company WebFX, 88 percent of people trust word of mouth, or a friend’s recommendations, over traditional marketing.

Ask your friends and family for honest recommendations. What did they like about their agent? What didn’t they like? Was there anything they wished had been done differently? A good referral from someone you trust can be one of the simplest ways to find a top agent for your home buying or selling needs.

Good agents will have information readily available about them, so do your due diligence and start researching. Begin by looking for what you can find online. Most real estate agents should have a website with listings that can help you get a better understanding of the types of homes and clients they represent. Look for a social media presence to see how they are sharing listings and what potential they have for your needs, too.

You should also be able to find reviews online as well. Both Facebook and Google tend to have honest reviews from happy — and even some unhappy — clients who have first-hand experience with agents. Scour those reviews to see what you can learn before you officially hire an agent.

Once you’ve narrowed down the agents in which you’re most interested, make sure to take the time to interview them all to get a better sense of how the agent works. Ask about their availability and how often they can work closely with you to find the right home or sell yours fast. Ask about their background as an agent, the kinds of services they have to offer, and the types of buyers and sellers they tend to work with.

In fact, asking important questions can help you recognize when an agent might not be right for your needs. For example, an agent experienced in high-end luxury homes may not be the right fit for a first-time homebuyer. Or if you’re selling and want someone who has insights into staging, you may want to be prepared to ask questions that will help you determine the right fit. Be prepared with a good list of questions before you start interviewing to make the process as streamlined as possible.

Typically, when anyone asks for references, you can expect the insights gathered to be shining reviews. The same goes for real estate references. You can expect the references a potential agent will give you to be some of their best clients who are thrilled with the relationship and transaction an agent provided. That doesn’t mean you won’t find out good information about a potential agent.

Ask these references direct questions about the type of experience they had with the agent. Get detailed information about how long they looked at homes, how responsive the agent was, and even the type of home and price range they ended up purchasing. This type of information can help you get a clearer picture for how the agent will work with you.

How can you spot a top performing real estate agent? The data will be there when an agent is performing well. For starters, keep your eyes peeled for real estate signs in your neighborhood, or in the neighborhoods in which you’d like to consider buying. If an agent has their signs plastered in the neighborhood, it may be a good sign. But don’t rest on that information alone.

You will also want to look at the success of their listings, such as how long a home stayed on the market and their total volume and transactions. This type of insight can help you determine if you’ll get the results you need from your agent before you make your final decision.

Don’t be intimidated by the process of finding the right real estate agent. Go into it with an open mind and trust yourself to make the right decision when you have the knowledge in front of you.

The Jim Allen Group provides access to information on this blog/website as a public service for educational purposes only. Although reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all of the information made available is current, accurate, and complete…[read more]