As a Realtor, I have an unfair advantage in being able to tell if another Realtor is good. I can pull their stats and verify if what they are claiming publicly is actually true. But, without being able to do that, it can sometimes be difficult to tell if your Realtor is doing a good job until it’s too late.
SO! Not wanting you to fall prey to someone who might leave you in a mire, here are 5 WAYS to tell whether or not your real estate agent is up to the job!
1- They have another job. It’s hard to become a successful Realtor. If your Realtor has another job, they probably don’t have that level of success that is going to get you the best service possible. This doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have the best intentions of helping you, but without working in the industry full time, day by day, week by week, and month by month, it’s difficult to stay on top of pricing trends. Knowing all the ins-and-outs of this industry can really make a difference in the home buying and selling process.
2-They don’t respond to you quickly. What quickly means is different for each person, but generally, your Realtor should be responding to your queries and emails within 24 hours in most cases (if not faster!). I hear from lenders time and again that those real estate agents who respond slowly inevitably end up being the ones who bring the most trouble to their clients.
3-They don’t know the market numbers. If they can’t give you the average time of market, can’t tell you if you should put an offer in on a house at, under, or below listing price. If they can’t tell you if it’s likely that the seller will pay your closing costs…. If they don’t know these things, they can’t guide you through the process!
4-They sell less than the average amount of homes each year. At bare minimum, your Realtor should be having four to six transactions (listing a home or helping someone purchase a home) each year. Even six is fairly low, but if they aren’t doing at least that many, they aren’t active in the market. You WANT a Realtor who knows alllll the CURRENT market trends.
5-They take you home shopping before you have loan approval. Any Realtor willing to show you homes without knowing for certain whether or not you’ll be able to qualify for that home is a Realtor you don’t want to work with. With very few exceptions, going home shopping without being qualified is a waste of time for all involved. It means you can’t actually write an offer, you may fall in love with a home that someone else snaps up before you get to it, or that you believe you can purchase a home that is priced above what you can actually afford. Stick with a Realtor who spends the time to make sure they are showing you homes that will actually fit your budget BEFORE they use your precious time.
I hope reading this helps you to spot a Realtor who is less-than-desirable a mile off! As always, feel free to contact me with any questions- or comment below!
