How to choose the Realtor® that’s right for you.
A big decision before you buy or sell.
For some people choosing an agent to work with is a matter of seeing a phone number and calling it, but for most people the selection of an agent is almost as important as choosing a home to buy. Its not a simple decision and what works for one person, might not work for another. I thought I’d give some info from my perspective that might help you choose the right agent for you.
Referrals – Often the first suggestion you’ll hear is to ask your friends and family that have bought or sold a home. This is always a good idea. These are people you trust and they care about you enough to give you their honest opinions and what was good and bad about their agents. Of course, what works for Uncle Bob, might not work for you – so take that into consideration when getting a referral.
Skill – The three components of an agents skills that you hear most often when people are giving their opinions on what makes a good agent are education, experience, and skill. If you’d like to check an agent’s real estate education here in Texas, just log on to the Texas Real Estate Commission’s website (you can view my education on the TREC site). Although education is important, it doesn’t mean everything (just because you took the class, doesn’t mean you learned and retained anything). An agent’s experience is usually counted in years of real estate practice, but I don’t think it counts for much. I’ve seen agents with years of experience do terrible work and have seen brand new agents do incredible work (and vice versa). Its really down to the individual on this. You can always ask an agent about their sales volume, but just because an agent is busy and has closed a lot of transactions, doesn’t mean they’re the right fit for you. Again – its all down to what makes you feel most comfortable.
Comfort – I think this is the most important aspect of the entire agent/client relationship. If we’re not comfortable together how will we work together? An agent/client relationship is a partnership. The agent needs you to help them and you need the agent to help you. By being comfortable, you can build a trusting relationship and be able to tackle just about anything that comes your way during your transaction. You spend a lot of time with your agent, what good would it be to not be comfortable with them?
Company – Some people believe its the company that the agent works for that matters. While I agree, I find there are some misunderstandings about this issue. First, many of the companies you see in real estate are franchises. We work under the same general umbrella, but each office is independently owned and operated. I am an Exit Realty agent. I work for Exit Realty North-San Antonio. There are several other Exit office in town, but they are not owned by my broker, Ron Tate. Because of the differences in the owners, many offices are run differently. What we do at my office, might not be that same as Exit Slater or Exit IH10. I think the company makes less of a difference, but the broker (owner) can make all of the difference.
So how do I choose?
The best way to choose an agent? Ask questions. Know what you want out of your agent. Know what’s important to you. Know that not all agents are trained in all disciplines. For instance, I refer all commercial property requests to another agent. I don’t work in commercial property. Property management? Not me either. I work for buyers and sellers of residential property. Homes. That’s where I focus my training and skills. When you speak to a potential agent, you should be asking them about what they know that relates to your purchase. Remember, the potential agent should be interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. They should be asking questions too. What are your goals? Your wishes? Your ideas? What do you want and how can I best help you meet those needs? In the answers to those questions, you will get to know the agent’s experience, education, and skills. A list of college degrees isn’t what’s important – what you can do with those degrees is.
So next time you hire a real estate agent, be prepared. Ask questions, tell them what you want, and don’t be afraid to say “I just don’t think we’re a good match.” We want you to be comfortable, because we want to be comfortable. Nothing says “fun” like spending a Saturday away from home looking at houses with someone you have no interaction with.
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Comments
Dang bro your site is killing it! Really digging it! I say the right realtor has to be a rockstar! So that really leaves only one choice
Jonathan – Thanks for dropping in. Glad to hear you’re enjoying it and I agree – there is only one choice…haha!
For those that don’t know, Jonathan runs “Get Sexy San Antonio” – the best fitness boot camp in San Antonio. One of these days I’m going to let him whip me into shape.
Well,
Thanks to Jonathan for that referral! I guess that’s my number 1.
I didn’t realize you were a realtor. Eddy and I would have asked for help ages ago!
Melissa´s last blog ..Life
Melissa – Well Jonathan is always too kind. I think he’s the happiest man in San Antonio!
I’ll shoot you an email about some questions I have for you and perhaps I can help you two.
rerockstar´s last blog ..New Area Information By Zip Code (Market Stats And More)!
Matt – you are going old school on me here. Referral is always good in any industry, so I agree with that (although it’s a personal choice and your sister’s Realtor may not be the best match for you).
Education is very iffy – the reason is that real estate courses are known to be a bit superficial and designations don’t really prove the knowledge of a Realtor. Let’s face it, getting a real estate license is very easy. I look at education as any degrees or “life education” an agent may have.
Company – totally irrelevant IMHO – it’s all about the agent and how they market themselves and their listings. I left a mega brokerage after years and so happy in a smaller boutique company. I think with the power of the Interwebs, the “big brokerage” is no longer as relevant.
Not an easy task, but doing homework always helps.
Ines´s last blog ..Miami Shores Village News – October 2009
Ines – I hadn’t seen your request for the link after I commented on your post, so when I caught it this morning, I thought I’d throw it in there. Didn’t want to junk up your blog with my links (by the way, you have my full permission to post any link on my blog, as you know I’m a big fan).
“Your sister’s Realtor may not be the best match for you.” – So true and I even hear it from consumers. They feel obligated to use a family member and then realize it wasn’t the best choice for them. Everyone is different and every agent is too.
Are you kidding me? you would never be “junking up my blog” I asked you for the link – (I don’t do that with too many people)
Ines´s last blog ..Miami Shores Village News – October 2009
Ines – Ok, maybe not junking up, but you know how delicate that can be for some people. I doubted you would be upset, but I never do it unless I’ve been given permission. There are those people out there that I know would invite the link and the conversation – you would be one of them.
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