1. Choose The Person, Not The Experience
I am a firm believer in choosing an agent who works for you and with you. Don’t choose an agent based solely on experience. Although it’s good to have, it’s not everything. You will be spending a lot of time with that agent and you need to mesh. Choose someone relatable and real. Choose for you, not for the house. Choose someone good at talking and negotiating.
2. Remember Chemistry Is Key
It’s best to interview at least three agents before picking the one you work with. Focus on neighborhood expertise; look for hyperlocal. Ask yourself, “Is their marketing about them or their properties?” Also, can you trust them, are they honest? Chemistry is the key.
3. Seek Referrals From Other Homeowners
Despite the technology that seems to take over much of the searching for a home, the right real estate agent is still a human-to-human choice. Referral is best. There’s nobigger compliment to an agent than a referral from a past client. Ask homeowners whothey would recommend. If you know the area you want to purchase in or sell your homein, there will be an expert in that area.
4. Find Someone Who Has Your Best Interests At Heart
Ask yourself, “Does my real estate agent have my best interests at heart?” Be honest andtransparent about what you’re looking for, and if an agent isn’t bringing you the rightoptions, it’s likely they aren’t looking for houses for you but rather to benefit themselves.Ask questions upfront and don’t be afraid to move on to someone else if the relationshipdoesn’t feel right.
5. Go With Your Gut Feeling
Your brain uses logic and emotion when making a decision, and that specific feeling youget when doing so is your intuition — your gut feeling. If you’re interviewing a real estateagent for the job, first look to see that they do a lot of business and have a lot of ravingfans. Second, go with your gut feeling. If it feels right, he’s the guy or gal for the job.
6. Find An Agent You Can Trust
As the client, you begin the dialogue — but pay close attention to the agent or broker and howhe/she listens and asks YOU questions. Most successful agents have access to the technologyit takes to make your property seen or to find options for purchase, but it takes a human being tounderstand and work to achieve your specific goals. Take time to find a human you respect andtrust.
7. Look For Passion, Conviction And Honesty
Look at the agent’s work. The easiest and most valuable way is to review how they’re marketingother properties. Look at their listing materials, website, brochures and signage. Pay attention totheir personal appearance. Look for passion, conviction and honesty. You want your agent to tellyou what it’s going to take to get your home to sell faster and for the best price.
8. Make Sure They Offer Adequate Support
Be sure to do your research first. Are they supported by a team? An agent who has support isable to offer a high level of customer service to every customer. Most agents work with severalclients at a time. The logistics of buying/selling a home are complicated, and it’s easy to misssomething or fall short without a support staff.
9. Check If They Mitigate Risk
Find a real estate agent who is honest about the risks of buying or selling. Throw out the flatteryand fluffy agents. You want someone who is realistic and can proactively mitigate risk. Wheninterviewing agents, pay attention to those using real data in their answers when it comes toinvestment analysis, neighborhood-level market performance, and long-term impact of yourdecision to buy or sell.
10. Look For Strong Core Values
Whether it’s business or pleasure, finding a good person all comes down to core values. Corevalues are important because you want to work with someone that plays by the same rules youdo. For example, if you are an honest person who tells the truth, would you not want someone totell the truth to you?
11. Find A Compassionate Agent Who Understands You
Let’s face it — buying a house is a stressful task, especially if you are facing a divorce, havinga baby, mourning the death of a spouse, etc. You need an agent who is patient with you andyour circumstances. Interview an agent or broker and see if they have the same emotions,outlook on life, personality, as you do.
12. Track Record And Inventory
Great real estate investment sales brokers never show up out of nowhere. It takes a long timeto build a track record that attracts quality inventory. With single family houses, reciprocity isthe rule, but in commercial it is definitely the exception. You need to be talking regularly withthe top brokers in your target property type, size and region to get the best deals.
13. Seek Clear Lines Of Communication
First and foremost, you need to feel completely comfortable talking and communicating withthe real estate agent. If it feels awkward or if there is undue pressure placed on you by a realestate agent, this is not the right fit.
14. Scour The Web For Info
Just because you have a friend who has a friend who knows an agent doesn’t mean youshould necessarily work with this person. If you are considering an agent, Google them. Yelpthem. Check out their website. Interview them. We are lucky to live in an age when there is somuch information at our disposal, so use your resources.
