Whether you’re looking to buy or sell a home, working with a great real estate agent can make each process you go through much easier. By using their contacts and expertise, you can turn the home buying or selling process into something you look forward to rather than something that you dread. However, if you pick the wrong real estate agent to work with, you may find that they only make your stress greater, which is the opposite of what you want. So to ensure that you have the best experience with buying or selling a home, here are three tips for finding the best real estate agent for you.
Hold “Interviews”
Because it’s hard to know how well you’ll work with someone by simply reading their reviews online or asking your friends and family about them, Time Money recommends that you hold “interviews” for a few of the front runners before you actually settle on a real estate agent to work with. By meeting up with a handful of agents, you can get a feel for their personalities as well as their knowledge about the housing market. Once you’ve taken the time to share a conversation together, your decision on who to work with will likely be much more clear.
Ask The Right Questions
While you’re still deciding on which agent to work with, you’ll want to be sure that you’re asking the right questions to help you narrow down your search. According to Dana Dratch, a contributor to BankRate.com, one of the best questions you can ask a real estate agent is about specific homes that have either just hit the market or just sold. While this may require you to do a bit of preliminary research to ensure they’re getting their information right, being able to tell if the agent knows details about current homes on the market can be a great indicator to show if he or she is on top of the market and knows what they’re talking about.
Know What Areas They’re Familiar With
If you’re looking for a home in a specific neighborhood or community, you’ll likely want to weed out the agents who aren’t as familiar with this area. According to Ray Boss Jr., a contributor to U.S. News and World Report, agents who specialize in the exact area may have a leg up in being able to get you into that location. Agents who have a more generalized knowledge of the area may not be as seasoned in working with homeowners in the area you’re looking for, which can make it more difficult to find exactly what you’re in the market for.
If you’re trying to find the right real estate agent to work with, consider using the tips mentioned above to find the perfect match for you.