Who makes the cut for your spot-on realtor/real estate agent?
In the real estate business, there’s no short supply of realtors and real estate agents making claims to be the best in the business, shoving best buy real estate deals in your faces, and reeling out almost seemingly crammed real estate jargon and market numbers off their head, leaving you swimming while trying to play catch up.
Real estate agents promote themselves with online/ social media ads, direct-mail and sponsored posts. So, cutting through the advertising hype and finding the right agent can be tough.
Still, there are ways to vet an agent’s record and see if they’re all they’re posed to be.
To start off, ask agents about properties they’ve listed and sold in the past year: Ask whether the previous properties were similar to yours in price, location and other key features. You want someone who specializes in what you’re about to buy and has experience in your similar vested interests.
Ask about professional awards: Peer-given awards count. If your realtor has gotten a “Realtor of the Year,” award by realtor or real estate relevant bodies, then that’s a huge endorsement and counts for a lot. He’s doing most things right, most likely.
Find out how experienced an agent is: It’s important to know how long your agent has been in business. If they’re relatively greenhorns, they’re learning on you and that’s not good, for you. Ultimately, what you want is someone who is actively engaged in a particular area and price range. You’ll want an agent to demonstrate knowledge of the area and homes in your price range.
Look at the agent’s current listings: Check out an agent’s listings online. Places to look include the real estate agency’s website and commercial property listing sites, that offer a searchable online database of properties in the multiple listing service. Most buyers start their search online, and you want an agent who uses that tool effectively.
Look at how closely the agent’s listings mirror the property you want to buy or sell: Are they in the same area? Is the price range similar? Does the agent have enough listings to indicate a healthy business, but not so many that you’d be waiting days on end to get your call returned? Ultimately you want a realtor or real estate agent that takes your property needs seriously and assigns you utmost priority.
Measure the agent’s knowledge of the area: A good agent should know about other properties that are available in the area. If the agent knows about similar properties within the grade bracket of one you intend to buy and can give you a few details, that means he or she really knows your area, he says. “You want someone like that, who’s on top of the market.”
Yes, you’ve got the cash and the dough to cough out on land purchase, but coughing out the realtor and real estate agent who does it for you isn’t easy peasy, and shouldn’t be a case of any Tom, Dick, and Harry can do it. The success of your land or real estate investment, to a large extent depends on the realtor and agent you pick. Level up with the right realtor.