How to Choose The Right Realtor For You
Whether you are selling your home or buying a home, choosing the right realtor is an extremely hard decision. Often times you are meeting with a complete stranger that you will then entrust with one of the most expensive assets you will ever own or sell. A lot is on the line and you really don’t have much time to build a long-term connection with this individual, unless you have prior connections with realtors before making this big home decision. Luckily for you, as a realtor with tons of experience I’ve met a lot of clients and over the years I’ve been able to gather what qualities you should look for when choosing the right realtor for you!
Dilemna of Choosing the Right Realtor
It all depends on what you consider the ‘right’ realtor to be. Is it the person you trust the most, like a childhood friend, or is it the most competent individual you can find like a top producer?
There is no right answer, but I thought I’d give you my personal opinion on this matter. The best realtor for you to choose is the person you feel you can trust the most, whether that be a highly competent real estate consultant or a family member, whoever you feel the most comfortable with when dealing with a real estate transaction will be your best option. This is why I think this is the best way to choose.
You’ll never know the outcome for your specific situation. Yes a top producer may have sold hundreds on homes in your area, but they most likely have never sold your home, emphasis on your home. In that same regard, they may have been able to help many homebuyers find the right home, but they’ve never helped you specifically. Essentially no realtor has ever helped your situation specifically, so whether they are a top producer or a local realtor they are all starting at a blank slate with you.
They also all do the same things. All real estate agents or consultants help their clients buy and sell real estate. Some may say they offer special bonuses like connections to big websites or newspapers, but their job is the same at the end of the day. With this in mind, the only factor you can account for before actually choosing to work with that realtor is how much you can trust them. Especially since you most likely do not have years of experience in real estate transactions, you will have to rely on your realtor blindly for a lot of instances. That’s where the trust comes in. If you have a strong connection with any one realtor and you feel you can trust them with anything, even if you do not know what is going on, then that is one of the best values to compare realtors to.
Factors to Consider
There are many factors and qualities you can search for in a realtor when interviewing, however here are the most important ones to consider if you want to ensure you choose the right advisor.
Competence is the easiest quality to sniff out. You can typically tell whether or not an agent is competent simply by the way they poise themselves. Do they sound nervous? Are they rambling? Are they quick to panick when you ask hard questions? Take note of how they react to any questions you say and start judging really hard.
Once you find out whether or not they are competent you should challenge their ability to negotiate. You want a strong negotiater representing you when selling your home, the best way to find out if they have what it takes is to ask for a lower commission. If the agent buckles and yields the second you ask them, would you really want them to be negotiating for your precious property?
Finally and the hardest quality to judge is their honesty. Do they act and talk like a genuine and sincere human being, or are they putting up a front as a facade to earn your business? I believe if they have been fearless in providing the proper information about your property, whether or not you like their data or pricing, that is a pretty good tell that they value honesty above all. If they are willing to risk your business by telling you the truth about your home’s value, then chances are they are even more honest and sincere when you start doing business with them, and that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.
How to Choose the Right Realtor for You
In my humble opinion, this is what I consider to be the best way to ensure that you choose the right realtor for you…
First, before ever meeting with a single realtor you should meet with everybody involved in this decision, be it your family, partner, or investment firm and come to an agreeance of what you’re looking for. Hopefully your thoughts align with mine and you are valuing their trustability through their negotiation skills, competence, and honesty.
Then I would advise you to pick the top 3 realtors you can find through google for your area, which you should do some research by looking through their reviews. Meet with each realtor and come prepared to take notes. You’ll want to take note of all the qualities that you find important in your realtor of choice.
Finally you’ll meet with everyone involved in the decision of choosing the realtor and compare notes, see which realtor resonated the most with everyone involved. Weigh out the differences and really dive deep into what’s important for you when you entrust over your home to this individual.
If you follow all of these steps, you should have a clear cut winner that you’ll want to move forward with. Be kind to the other realtors who gave it their best shot. Congrats, you have just found the best possible realtor for your big decision, nothing left to do but trust the process and back up your realtor with all the blind faith in the world, they’ll most likely take care of you as if you were their baby.
FAQs
What is the average realtor commission?
While there is no set commission standards anywhere in the world, most online sources will tell you that 2-3% per side is the average. However so called discount brokers may offer less than 2%, and premium brokers may charge more than 3%. The commission may also vary depending on the home value, as luxury homes may have lower commission percentages on average and mobile homes may have larger percentages.
Where do I find realtors?
The easiest and best way to find realtors to interview is online. Simply search up key words such as local realtor to *insert city*. Look at the google maps and pick at least 2 realtors to interview.
What should I not tell my realtor?
I believe that you should be fully transparent with your realtor. If you are meeting with other realtors than be honest with them. The realtor you are interviewing is putting a lot of work into trying to impress you, the least you can do is be honest and transparent with them, the rest will play out.
📍 Final Thoughts from a Local Realtor
You may think this article is skewed because of the fact that I’m a realtor, but the truth is it isn’t.
This is simply a collection of the experience my past clients have had choosing realtors.
At the end of the day no one can tell you what to do or how to feel, but I hope this blog post can at least give you some insight into the things that are most important when choosing your realtor. It’s ultimately up to you to decide who to entrust your most valuable asset to, so make sure you pick a realtor with no regrets!
Have questions about specific neighborhoods, I’d love to help.
