Saturday, January 20, 2007

What should you look for in a REALTOR?

I was thinking about what advice I would give a friend that was moving to another area about how to choose their REALTOR. Here is what I would look for.

Are they on a team? This means that there is backup in case your agent gets sick or has to leave town.

Do they have a full time assistant? A successful agent is busy. The assistant will make sure that nothing falls through the cracks. Plus they can usually find your agent if you need them in a hurry.

Check out their web site. A good web site is necessary these days. Do they just have the basics or is their site really informative. This is also an indicator of their computer knowledge.

Are they full time? I want me to be their priority. In real estate, time is of the essence. I want my home search to come before other obligations.

Do they work in an office or out of their home. An agent who works in an office is normally more "plugged in" to the market and is liable to know about homes just coming on to the market.

Don't be afraid to change in mid-search. If you feel that the agent is not doing the job for you or if it just 'doesn't click". Find a new agent.