Real Estate
Choosing a Real Estate Agent
by Ann Zeilingold There is so much information online, making it easier than ever to be an informed consumer when buying or selling a home. Yet the digital revolution has done little to lessen the importance of choosing the right real estate agent to work with you. The right agent can help you buy your dream house or sell your existing home quickly. The wrong agent can botch the transaction, leaving you with egg on your face and nowhere to call home. Despite the high stakes, many buyers and sellers give little thought to choosing an agent, whether they’re buying or selling. When choosing an agent, get recommendations from friends and relatives, and see which agents are buying and selling the most homes in your neighborhood. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about how many listings the agent has, how many homes she has sold in your area, how often she will communicate with you – and in what format – and who she will represent in the transaction. If you’re a seller, ask how the agent will market your home, who the target buyer is, and how he will get your home in front of those preferred buyers. Here are five red flags to watch for when choosing a real estate agent: The agent suggests the highest price for your house. If you’re selling your house, get listing presentations from
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The wrong agent can botch the transaction, leaving you with egg on your face and nowhere to call home.
at least three agents, who will tell you what comparable homes have sold for and how long they take to sell. The agents are all looking at the same data, so the suggested listing price should be close. Pricing a home too high at the start often means it will take longer to sell, and ultimately sell for less. “If you’re too high for the market, buyers will not even look at it because they know you’re not realistic,” says Tirtza Beer, a local Real Estate Agent with Realty Teams. “The longer your property sits on the market, the more people are going to think there’s something wrong with it.” The agent does real estate on the side, part time. Whether you’re a buyer or seller, you want to choose an agent who is actively following the market every day. If you’re buying, you want an agent who can jump on new listings and show them to you immediately. If you’re the seller, you’ll want an agent who is always available to show your home to prospect i v e buy-