Comments on: Adventures in First-Time Homebuying #6: The Hunt for a Real Estate Agent, Part 2

By: robert

robert — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:53:49 +0000

How about this one. Drive around in the neighborhood you are interested in. See if one real estate agent’s name appears more than any others on the signs in the front yards. This may give you a head start to see who knows what.

By: Marketing Ideas

Marketing Ideas — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:59:41 +0000

I personally put a lot of stock in an agent’s website, not so much what it looks like, but whether it is functional and easy to use, and whether the information is current. This helps me judge how much effort they put into their business and customer relations, and what I can expect from them in terms of attention to detail and level of service. There are a lot of agents out there whose websites completely turn me off.

By: Andrew - Apartment Man

Andrew - Apartment Man — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 03:52:00 +0000

My personal favorite is walking into several brokerages and interviewing prospective agents. Another method is to drive around the area you want to buy a home in. Sometimes you will notice some realtors have many homes listed under their company. You figure they must be doing something right since they have earned several listings from different homeowners. You at least may have some time to interview them and see if they can assist you.

By: Justin - Focus On Castle Rock

Justin - Focus On Castle Rock — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:46:23 +0000

I have another suggestion for the list, although it’s more of a recommendation. I would look at activerain or localism as well to try to find an agent. Blogging has become a big thing for most real estate agents, and one of the best ways to find out about the market in your area is to find a local real estate blogger, and activerain is a great place to start looking. You’ll find transparency, and openess, and you just might find an agent you like based upon their writing personality. Just a thought…

By: Larry Nusbaum

Larry Nusbaum — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 14:22:45 +0000

Funny, I am about to write a post on how to sell your home and get top dollar, to include how to find a realtor. Trust me, this is a very difficult task. So, in no particular order:
1. Don’t hire a luxury home specialist if you don’t have a luxury home.
2. When interviewing 3-4 realtors, don’t take the one who over prices your house in an effort to “buy your listing”.
3. Discuss a pricing strategy with each prospective agent.
4. Ask each agent their view on the local market (only) so you can eliminate ones that are too optimistic or too pessimistic.
5. Know your market.
6. Do not allow an agent who represents both sides (buyer & seller) known as “Dual Agency”
7. Be ready for your first open house: broker time, signs, ads, staging, cleaning, right price, marketing, broker tours, office tours.
8. Call your prospective agent at home, office and cell phone several times as a test if they are easy to find. Don’t hire an agent who doesn’t answer their cell: Time is of the Essence.