What to Consider When Looking for a Real Estate Agent

To make your work of buying or selling property, it is important to hire an experienced real estate agent to help you. However, with the many real estate agents available, how can you determine which one will be right for you?

You will come across many advertisements of real estate agents or firms serving clients in your area. Some of the ways in which the agents market themselves include through direct-mail postcards, online ads, yard signs and even sponsored public benches. Finding the right agent for you from the many in the market can be a huge challenge. However, if you do some research, you can easily find an agent’s record and determine whether he/she will be right for you.

When you want to buy or sell property with the help of an agent, consider the following:
The Art of Mastering Experts

Referrals of recent clients
Look for agents that have been recently active in buying or selling properties. You want an agent that have been active over the past 12 months in helping clients sell or buy properties. With the dynamics of real estate industry always changing, an active agent will be in a better position to advise you on various issues related to the market.
Experts – Getting Started & Next Steps

Ask the clients for a list of clients that can vouch for their work. Ask about clients that the agents have worked with over the past one year in helping them buy or sell properties. You should get the contact information of these clients and reach them at a later date. You should also find out from the agent which clients may not want to be contacted and those that may be pleased to be contacted for inquiries about the agent.

When you get in touch with the clients that the agent referred you to, find out about the asking and sale price of the properties they were dealing with. If your main reason for looking for a real estate agent is to sell property, find out whether the ones the potential agent has sold in the past were comparable to yours in terms of features, location and size. Look for an agent that has specialized in the type of property you wish to sell.

Another piece of information you should find out about is how long the homes were in the market before they were sold.

Is the Agent Licensed?
Real estate agents are licensed and disciplined by the state licensing body. Find out whether the agent you want to hire is recognized by the state licensing authority. It is also important to find out whether the state licensing body has taken any disciplinary action against the agent you wish to work with.

When looking for a real estate agent, consider the two things above.