Real Estate Resources
Appraising Your Real Estate Agent
Faye’s Top Ten Suggestions for Finding A Real Estate Agent Who is The Real Deal!
The recent real estate boom flooded our industry with new agents looking to profit from the hot housing market. Today, there are approximately 1.2 million licensed real estate agents in the United States -- a record number for the occupation. There are 2100 agents in Wilmington alone: that’s 1 real estate agent for every 5 properties sold in the area last year! It can be difficult work to separate the true professionals from those who approach the business without the appropriate knowledge and integrity. And as I have mentioned elsewhere on this site, I don’t believe that buying or selling a home should be hard work or a risky proposition for you. To help make that most important initial decision of finding the right agent to serve you, here are my Top Ten Tips:
1. Check Credentials; Learn the Real Estate ABC’s
A strong real estate agent takes our business seriously and is continually working on increasing his or her knowledge base and keeping abreast of industry trends and developments. Here are some of my memberships, affiliations and accreditations and what they mean. Make sure your agent has at least a few of these too…..
(Council of Residential Specialists)
ABR
(Accredited Buyer Representative)
GRI
(Graduate, REALTOR® Institute)
Broker
A real estate broker is a party who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate.
CENTURY 21® Brock & Associates
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2. Consider Chemistry
Smart consumers interview potential real estate agents before deciding on whom to hire.
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3. Ask Away!
Don’t be shy about asking questions before you agree to have an agent represent you!
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4. Ask Some More:
The Two Best Questions !
I. What Are the Top Three Things That Separate You From Your Competition?
II. What Haven't I Asked You That I Need to Know?
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5. To Buy or To Sell:
That is the Question!
Find out if your agent is representing the buyer, the seller, or both.
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6. Go to Open Houses
Before Opening Doors
Like most businesses, personal referrals remain the best way to find a fantastic real estate agent.
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7. Take the “Just Happened to Be in the Neighborhood” Approach
Pay attention to the listing signs in your neighborhood.
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8. Something Old, Something New
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9. Crunch the Numbers
Knowing the agent's average list price-to-sales ratio speaks volumes.
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10. The Three R’s:
Referrals, References,
Resources
An agent who comes highly recommended from someone you know and trust is golden.
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11. Faye has contributed to these two books that give information on How to Buy a Home. The books are authored by Piper Nichole and give you many good ideas on buying Homes.
THE EVERYTHING HOMEBUYING BOOK
BUYING A HOME ON A SHOESTRING
