Does your REALTOR Make the Grade?

Part of my reason for wanting to become a Realtor (outside of the fact that it was a natural progression) was because of seeing flaws in my Realtor when I first started purchasing real estate. Why did the Realtor get into his/her chosen profession?

My suggestions:

• *referral & personality (even if referred by someone you know, respect and trust interview the Realtor anyway – some personalities don’t jive and if you want a relationship built on mutual respect, what “feeling” do you get when you meet with him/her)

• *how much does he/she advertise? Just because the one advertises the most, doesn’t necessarily mean he/she is “the best.” How much attention to detail will he/she be about the business you require. Will he/she handle your business directly or pass you off to a team? Also, in my personal opinion, anyone that has to refer to themselves as “#1″ or “the best” in their advertising is probably not the kind of person I’d want to work with. When I’m looking for out of town properties, I’m looking for someone that would be servicing my needs, not theirs.
• *response time: how quickly does he/she return your initial calls and/or email?
• * trust your instinct – if you’ve built a set of questions and something he/she says doesn’t “jive” then trust your instinct that even if you can’t pinpoint what it is at that particular time, there must be a reason why your “Spidy-sense” is tingling
• *use Specialists in their field. Some REALTORS may wear many hats. Don’t use someone who is not familiar with your needs or tries to do everything. They won’t be focused. For example, if you’re a real estate investor, gear your questions and use a LOCAL expert who knows the areas and what they’re talking about. Investing is about cashflow and numbers – not pretty houses. If you’re looking for your personal home, then use the Realtor that knows the neighbourhood; use a Commercial one that knows about Businesses and specific to that Industry; use one that knows specifically about Farms, etc.
• *don’t sign anything unless you understand it. When working with a Realtor, you’ll be asked to sign a Buyer Agency Agreement. Understand what you’re signing and read carefully the documentation and what you’re “locking” yourself into.

That’s about it for now. I’m sure others will have some great ideas. Please share your comments!
Have a great day and wish you the greatest success in whatever your real estate endeavours.