Just because your neighbor’s college roommate’s sister just got a real estate license doesn’t mean she’s the right agent for you.
When you bring on a real estate agent to help with the home buying process, you’re making a hiring decision. This person will help you make one of the largest financial decisions in your lifetime. It’s important to think as critically about who you choose for this role as you would any other professional you hire. As you research and interview your next (or first!) buyer’s agent, consider the skills and traits you would want your agent to demonstrate.
Here are four traits we think are essential for any real estate agent to have in order to create a great home buyer experience for you.
1. Your agent should be a professional.
It’s nice to see a prospective real estate agent arrive with crisp slacks and a glossy business card. But more important is whether they are, in fact, an experienced full-time professional.
We suggest vetting agents to find someone who has experience in your neighborhood of choice. You need one who has a thorough understanding of the local home supply, the factors affecting home prices on a neighborhood level, and how sales pace influences “good” home availability. There are many nuances to real estate sales at the neighborhood level, and having someone by your side who understands them could save you big bucks.
It is also imperative that your agent know how to handle any challenges that arise during your transaction. In many real estate transactions, there are two rounds of negotiations. There’s the initial negotiations, which lead to the signed offer to purchase agreement. Then there’s round two, the repairs discovered during the inspections. An experienced agent will guide you through any hard decisions and advocate on your behalf.
2. Your agent should understand your specific needs and timeline.
You’re not in the market to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a boring, cookie-cutter house with a weird floor plan on the opposite end of town from where you work and spend all your leisure time. Make sure your agent understands what YOU are looking for in a home. If you are looking for a specific kind of home (retirement community, new build, urban condo, equestrian property, etc.), try to find an agent who specializes in that type of lifestyle.
Along the same lines, make sure your agent understands your timeline. You shouldn’t be rushed into a home if you still have eight months left on your lease. Or worse, your agents shouldn’t lallygag with your offers when you’re serious about buying and need to be in a new home asap. Whether your move revolves around the start of a new school year or the start of a new job, your agent should be able to help you plan your purchase around your own timeline. That is not to say that he or she can pick the exact date for your move. You just want the agent to exert any influence they can.
3. Your agent should be open about his or her past clients.
Essentially, a real estate agent’s past clients serve as their resume. For good agents, previous clients may also indicate the strength of their future business, as well. You have the right to request your agent’s sales data and ask to see verified testimonials.
In fact, peer-to-peer recommendations and service reviews are a great way to narrow your agent interviews and get a feel for the kind of service and support a particular agent will provide. Independent sites like RealSatisfied.com let clients submit objective reviews about the quality of service received from their real estate agents. That’s why we include a running RealSatisfied feed on every agent profile on beverly-hanks.com.
4. Your agent should be available when and how you need them.
Picking the most popular and successful agent is to your benefit only as long as that agent can manage your needs efficiently and seamlessly. And a big part of that is communicating in a manner and frequency that works for you.
Your Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks buyer’s agent will be by your side from contract to closing. Make sure that you’re getting the level of communication you need. You may prefer to do all your real estate communication by text so you can keep the ball rolling during your work hours. Or perhaps you like to talk through your options without any character limits, and phone calls are more your thing.
In the current market, there’s little room for dead air and missed connections. Good agents are busy agents, so they may not be available at the drop of a hat. But an agent worth their salt should treat you like the valuable client you are.
How much do you know about real estate agency?
In some real estate transactions, the seller and buyer may each have agents. But sometimes, the same agent works for both the buyer and the seller. In order to make the best decisions, you should understand the roles and responsibilities of buyer’s agents, seller’s agents, and dual or designated agency. Click here to learn more.
Find an Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks professional to help you buy your next home!
Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks has 19 convenient offices across WNC that make finding a local neighborhood expert easy. Rest assured, all of our agents are fully licensed, and all credentials are listed on their account.
At beverly-hanks.com, you can filter our agents by specialty, designations, and interests. And you can research Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks’ agent profiles to get to know our agents before you even make contact. Your agent’s current listings can also give you insight into where his or her strengths lie. And of course, don’t forget to check their RealSatisfied listings to see what past clients have to say about their home buying or selling experience.
Begin your search for the perfect Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks real estate professional today!
I’m looking to relocate to North Carolina. But I am in need of assistance getting Info about the different areas surrounding raleigh Durham area. Are you able to help?
Hi, Jennifer – Beverly-Hanks works in 9 counties surrounding Asheville in Western North Carolina. Unfortunately, we are not active in the Raleigh-Durham area. If you would like us to connect you with our Leading Real Estate Companies of the World affiliate in that area, let us know.