When it comes time to buy or sell a home, it is in your best interest to make sure that the realtor representing you is the best person for the job. Each realtor has different sets of expertise, resources and techniques that can make a significant impact on the success of your sale or purchase. For instance, some realtors specialize in commercial real estate or specialize in very specific communities. Others might excel at representing first time home buyers or folks in specific budget ranges.
Interviewing a realtor is a great way to get to know the folks in your area and ensure that you work with the absolute best person for you and your needs. You will be working very closely with this person for a couple months so a good working relationship is critical to your success. At the end of the day, an agent is guiding you through a very important process for you and your family and you shouldn’t settle for anything less than your exact needs in a realtor.
We’ve compiled a few tips to help you with the interview process.
Research the Top Producers
It’s not hard to figure out who the most active and successful agents are in your area. They may not be your best fit but there is a reason for their success. They may have invaluable knowledge of your area or are able to truly hone in on their buyers or sellers wishes and consistently deliver. Why not?
Ask Them about Their Background and Track Record
Knowing how long an agent has been in business or where they are from are excellent questions to ask. An agent that has been active for many years will have experience on their side and if they have roots in your target area, they will have a much more intimate knowledge of their surrounding areas, schools, businesses, etc.
Sales success is worth asking about as well. You can ask an agent how many homes they’ve sold or listed in prior years and what their workload is for the current year and during the time they would be your representative.
Similarly, not all agents are full time and may only be partially available or need to lean on other agents in their agency to help with open houses and walk-throughs, etc. Ask them how many hours they work per week.
This is all important information and can give you insight into how dedicated or accessible that agent can reasonably be to you.
How Do They Work Their Magic?
Not all agents sell a home the same way. Some use traditional resources such as print advertising or perhaps radio and others use social media and online networks to show off homes. If your current or target community has organized social tools like interest based pages or business networking forums, this is a great resource if the agent is able to leverage it.
Ask About Their Agency
Knowing who they work for is just as important. If they work for a large national agency they may not have the intimate knowledge of the area that you require. An agency may have specializations just the same as agents may specialize. For instance, some agencies specialize is specific budget ranges, older/historic homes or commercial properties. As you work through the process of buying or selling a home, many agencies have excellent resources available such as trusted inspection companies, title agencies and contractors that can help you make informed decisions. Working with an agent with the right agency can help when it comes to finding the right team of people to help you through a transaction/closing.
References
References are very valuable and can help you to gauge an agent’s skill through the past experiences others. If an agent cannot offer a referral or positive testimonial, you may want to consider someone with a better track record or with more experience.
Do Your Own Homework
There are so many resources online that there is no excuse for doing your own investigating. Research your agent and their agency. Most will have a website, a bio and/or a social media accounts to follow. Some might have a blog. See what they are posting, read reviews and see how they represent their other clients online. These are all fantastic ways to gather information and to understand an agent before any interview. Hopefully, the information you found out on your own matches what is out there on the internet. If it isn’t, ask them about it.
Class-Harlan Real Estate is the premier agency for the Bucks County and Montgomery County areas. With decades of experience and some of the most knowledgeable and passionate agents in the area, our boutique agency can offer the perfect agent for your exact needs. You can meet our team here or contact us today to make an appointment.