You may be likely to sell your home or purchase a new home. Either way, you’re probably looking for a great real estate agent.
Realtor, AGENT – is there a difference?
There are Realtors� and you can find real estate agents. These are not synonymous terms. An agent is licensed to “represent a buyer or a seller in a genuine estate transaction in trade for commission.”Realtors typically work for a real estate broker or Realtor.
A Realtor also is licensed and may sell real estate as either an agent or a broker. There are completely ethical realtors and Realtor�. The principal difference is that a Realtor has made yet another commitment to honor the 17-article code and profession of the true estate business.
The search and some questions
Looking for a great agent means that you will end up asking questions, so let’s start building your list of questions:
Referrals: ask friends and family, colleagues, and relatives for referrals. A lot of people who have had a confident experience working with an agent will gladly describe their experience and just why they feel their agent was exceptional.
Referrals from professionals: it is certainly appropriate to ask realtors for referrals. Financial institution representatives, especially mortgage brokers, are likely to be aware of exceptional agents.
Open houses: going to open houses is an excellent, non-threatening way to meet auctions. Pay attention to the agent’s manners and appearance, his/her professionalism, and the quality of promotional material provided at the open house. Does the agent seem proficient in the property and the local market? Is the agent prepared to explain the home’s features, or does he basically ignore visitors?
Once you have a generally favorable impression of an agent, be sure to collect a business card and make notes of your observations.
References: plan to interview several agents before deciding and signing a buyer’s agreement. During the interview, ask each candidate to provide referrals of recent clients and call those referrals.
Among the questions to ask are what were the asking and selling prices of their properties, and just how long the home was that you can buy?
Take time to look up the estate board of licensing services to verify that the candidate happens to be licensed and whether any complaints or disciplinary actions have been filed against the agent.
Experience: how long has the agent been in business? You need to be searching for the agent who thoroughly knows the neighborhood market in which you are selling or planning to buy your home. It takes time to build expertise and market knowledge. One agent recommends that any viable candidate should have at least five years’ experience.
May be the agent full- or part-time? You should expect, and ask for, a full time agent.
Next steps
When evaluating the qualifications of estate agents, look at their websites and current listings. Your own future agent ought to be web and technology savvy, using all current media to assist you find your perfect home or sell your present one. The agent also needs to manage to communicate reliably and regularly using the form(s) of contact you prefer – fax, phone, text, or e-mail.
Ideally, your prospective agent is busy however, not too busy to effectively represent you. Ambergris Caye Real Estate In the event that you feel that the candidate is not committed to giving your sale or purchase full and enthusiastic service, or is ready to hand you over to an “assistant”, move o