How To Find Your Real Estate Agent

buying a houseWhen you are going to get help with the necessary maintenance and needs of your home home, hiring a professional can mean the difference between a job well done and a mistake that can cost you thousands of dollars. It is no different when you are selling or buying a home.

You do not have to opt for a real estate agent. You can put your house on the market or purchase your own home without a professional’s help. However, if you are not familiar with the selling or buying process, it is highly likely that you will skip over some important steps. You may also find yourself on an unfair playing field when it comes to negotiating deals, which can cause you to lose money or pay more than what you should.

Despite the number of real estate agents working in the market, not every one of them is going to be the right fit for you. Below are ways how you can find the right professional to help you out.

Identify Your Real Estate Needs

Identifying your real estate interests is a crucial step because you need to select an agent who specializes in what you need. Are you looking for the perfect home in a specific school districts? For example working with a location-specific agent will help you find a specific neighborhood that you might want to live in. Some agents’ expertise is also determining the perfect buyer for your property.

Are you looking for a house in a school district? Or do you prefer to live in a one-bedroom condominium? Are you a first-time buyer? These details are crucial in selecting your agent. For example, an agent with a strong profile of first-time home buyers should be an expert in finding a home for you. A location-specific agent must also have a wealth of knowledge about certain districts in the area where it is most favorable to raise a family.

Search Online

One of the first steps you can take is to check for agent listings online. Plenty of websites can refer agents to you, but you might need to do a bit more digging as these sites will likely not provide you with any check concerning their quality and work ethics. When you use google, type down the appropriate keywords.

For example, if you live in the Chicago area, you can simply type “best real estate agent in Chicago.” The search engine will automatically help you locate the professionals near you. For this specfic search one of the top results is for Kale Realty. After checking their website they appear to be a very solid company that you can trust.
After reaching a website, look for important details such as experience, reviews, comments and past listings.

Gather Referrals

Word-of-mouth remains an excellent source of intel on local real estate agents. You can ask your colleague, friends or neighbors for referrals. Social media is also a great place to find the perfect real estate agent. You can even find listings on the Facebook Marketplace.

Deals are moving fast, so it is also important to include social media on your roster of places to check. Moreover the instant messaging feature of the social media sites nowadays allow you to contact the agent and inquire about their listing immediately.

Attend Open Houses

Most real estate companies post open house schedules on their website. By attending one of these events, you can meet different agents in their working environment. As soon as you get to the location, interact with them. Pay attention to how they are showing the property and assess whether the professional is informative and polite.

Regardless of how the agent has behaved, make sure to collect his or her business card and take notes. That way as soon as you have multiple business cards, you can select the real estate agents to avoid and the ones to work with.

Before you finally work with a company and an agent, never forget to check for their license and their disciplinary actions if any, with your state’s regulatory board. Find out if the person you are thinking about working with has a license and if he or she has any disciplinary actions or complaints. In most cases, these elements of information are posted online.