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Why Hire a Real Estate Agent

Selecting an agent, especially one who is a Realtor®, is one of the most pivotal decisions when buying a home. It is important to seek advice about this important financial transaction from someone who "buys and sells" houses for a living.

Working with professional real estate agents is beneficial for several reasons:

• They will help you establish a reasonable offer for your desired house.
• They have access to the information available on the Multiple Listing Service, which provides information from selling agents to buying agents about properties for sale in your area. Some of this information is available to the public, but agents are privy to even more info.
• They can search through these listings for you and filter out the ones which don't fit your parameters.
• They will schedule appointments to take you to see houses of interest.
• They can help you find ways to qualify for a mortgage.
• They can refer you to sources for insurance, inspections, legal counsel and financing.
• They will help negotiate with the seller.

Choosing an Agent

Since you will be working closely with an agent, choose an agent with whom you feel comfortable. One who is responsive to your needs and the needs of your family, one who compliments your personality, and one who is prepared to be with you throughout each step of the home-buying process.

• Get referrals from trustworthy family and friends.
• Select someone who is a member of the Board of Realtors®.
• Interview agents.

These questions, asked of family and friends who have dealt with a specific real estate agent, will help you learn what you need to know about agents:

• What were they like to deal with?
• How hard did they work for you?
• Did they get you a good price?
• Were there any complications?
• Did they always tell the truth?
• Were they always looking out for you or just interested in getting paid?
• Would you use their services again?

Ask these questions of the Realtors® you interview:

• Do you deal mostly with homebuyers or primarily with home sellers?
• Are you fully automated with your own personal computer, FAX machine, copier, pager, voice mail, etc?
• What is your commission? Or do you have hourly rates or a set fee?
• Do you have a list of home inspectors, insurance agents and reputable lenders for me to consider?
• Will you try to sell me one of your listed properties before you show me listings from other real estate companies?
• Do you have information about For Sale By Owner properties?
• How will you help me save money?
• How will you protect my interests, and why should I hire you rather than another agent?

After interviewing a few agents, ask yourself the following questions to narrow your choice:

• Which one returned your phone calls?
• Which one was most enthusiastic about helping you buy a house?
• Which one performed a financial analysis to determine how much you can afford?
• Which one suggested financing methods?
• Which one explained things most clearly?
• Which one made you feel most comfortable?

What to Expect from a Real Estate Professional

Expect:

• To be treated as a respectable client, not as a transaction.
• To have your best interests represented.
• To be served selflessly – your agent shouldn’t be eyeing your wallet.
• Your agent to work as hard for you as he/she would for himself/herself.
• The highest skills available.
• To have calls returned promptly and to be kept up to date.
• Your agent to go above and beyond what’s expected when dealing with problems that may arise.
• Your agent to be a trusted advisor that you can consult even when the transaction is complete.
• Rely on instinct to determine which agent is right. The right person will have suitable credentials, a plan you agree with and will make you feel comfortable.

Keep in mind, homebuyers, that you need to search for a realtor the same way that home sellers do.

You see, there are two "sides" to every sale. The seller's side is represented by the listing agent. The buyer's side is represented by the selling agent. The selling agent also is referred to as the buyer's agent. Usually, real estate commissions are paid by the seller. For this reason, the selling agent, although representing the buyer, has certain duties to the seller. If you, as the homebuyer, want to have a real estate agent represent only your interests, you will need to hire and pay commission to your own real estate agent. These real estate agents are generally referred to as buyer's agents.

If you call on a single classified advertisement in a newspaper, an ad in a home selling magazines or a listing on the Internet, you most likely are calling the listing agent.