How to Choose the Right Real Estate Agent

The property market can be an incredibly stressful and complicated place for both first-time buyers and self-professed property experts. Each property brings new challenges and complications, so just because the first time was easy doesn’t guarantee the next time will be the same. According to Zillow’s consumer report, 83% of sellers still prefer to list a property or buy their dream home with the help of an agent, even if they’ve been through the process before.

How to Choose the Right Real Estate Agent
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Why work with a real estate agent?

In the same report, 85% of those surveyed said the real estate agent was particularly helpful when finding interested buyers, while 82% were pleased to have someone to organize and submit all the paperwork on their behalf.

Other valuable services realtors provide include hosting open houses, house staging, and online marketing – all of which help you find the best deal available.  

How to choose the right realtor for the job?

Although there’s no question that realtors provide an invaluable service for their clients, 18% of people still say it’s difficult to find the right person for the job. Here are three tips to help you find the best real estate agent for you.

1. Scope your local area

 Take a walk around your town and check out any for sale signs and the contact details attached. Alternatively, if you’ve lived in the area a while, think about any realtors you know about and get in touch with those first.

If you want to be really cheeky, you can also collect business cards at open houses in the area. This also gives you the chance to check them out on the job.

2. Research online

You can gauge how good or bad a realtor is by checking out real estate agent reviews online. This will give you an honest reflection of the agent, rather than just reading the testimonials they’ve chosen to include on their own website.

If you can’t find a specific review site, read up on the agent’s social media page and see how they respond to any negative comments or reviews.

Remember, just because one person thought the realtor was wrong doesn’t mean you will. So, it’s important to check out why a realtor is receiving bad reviews, rather than just going off of the rating.

3. Compare agents in person

Once you’ve found a few realtors that seem a good fit, arrange an in-person meet up so you can check the professionalism and chemistry. You want to find an agent you can get on with; who listens to you and works with your interests in mind. This isn’t necessarily something you can gauge online.

Consider meeting realtors in person, like a job interview, where you’re in charge of finding the right candidate. Ask any questions you might have thought of, and compare answers from each person you meet with.

With reviews, local expertise, and in-person interviews, you should be all set to find the right real estate agent for your specific needs. Once that’s sorted, you can get to the fun part.