Finding the right real estate agent to help you buy a new home can be a stressful task! There are tons of benefits to hiring someone to assist in the buying process, even if it is not always required. If you’re wondering how to choose a real estate agent, there are some things to keep in mind. A great buying agent will seek out your best interests, be informative, and extremely competent.
Beginning the Search
Where should you look when you decide to hire an agent? The easiest way to begin is to ask friends, families, and coworkers about their recommendations, but be wary of people with close relationships to you trying to be your agent. If you have a friend or family member who wants to help you buy a home, the relationship can get in the way of professionalism and fairness. It’s best to find agents who have no possible goal other than to find the best possible deal for you. You can also look online and find reviews to find agencies that are good fits!
Interviewing the Agent
Once you have a list of agencies and agents you are interested in hiring, the optimal way to figure out who best suits your needs is to conduct interviews. Here are some interviewing tips:
- Let the agents know they are in the interview stage.
- There are several things you should take note of in your interview, beyond who you immediately have good chemistry with. These include:
- How experienced are they, and how long have they been an agent? You want someone who is knowledgeable and helpful, especially if you’re buying a home for the first time.
- How busy are they? If your agent has tons of different clients or seems like they may not be able to balance their workload, you may be better off avoiding their service. Your agent cannot always keep your best interests in mind if they have many clients to worry about.
- What area do they typically work in? Maybe they cover a specific niche of buyers, or they focus on a few particular neighborhoods. You want an agent who knows the region you’re interested in and is familiar with your needs.
Why Should You Hire a Buyer’s Agent?
In theory, you could always call the listing agent on a house you’re interested in and forgo the buying agent process altogether, but that’s not in your best interest. There are several reasons you want to hire a realtor when you are looking to buy a home.
- Information: Especially for first-time buyers, there are several parts of the process that may prove confusing. A good agent will help you understand the market and your budget relative to it, and explain estimates of the prices of repairs and maintenance in various homes.
- Having Someone On Your Side: If you buy from a listing agent and their client, they both have every incentive to get the best deal possible for them out of you and no incentive to work in your interest. Having a buying agent will make sure you have your needs and budget met. Agents work on commission, so your buying agent will be incentivized to help your buying process be as efficient and fair as possible.
- Preparation: There is no shortage of forms to be filled out and written offers can also be tricky. A buying agent helps you assemble all of these and can answer questions when you close a loan, so that you aren’t overwhelmed and confused.
When You Hire Sarah Bernard Realty, You Are A Priority
We will walk you through every step of the process and have experienced, competent agents who can work personally with your needs, whatever they are. You are always a priority and we provide research, a marketing plan, and thorough strategy, so that you have the best real estate transaction process possible. Contact us today at 314-780-9070!