Mar 9, 2020
How to Find a Real Estate Agent for The Home Buyer
“You want somebody that you know that you can feel safe with and trust.” — Nina Hermann (01:01-01:06)
Every person wants to work with a professional agent who has a positive attitude and won't take advantage of anybody. You want somebody who understands and respects all parties. It will help make the transaction smooth and puts you at peace by eliminating some of the added stress of the home buying process. In this week's episode, Nina Hermann talks about finding a real estate agent for the home buyer.
Part One of ‘How to Find a Real Estate Agent for The Home Buyer'
One of the first things that you need to take a look at is if they have any existing contracts under their belts. If it’s a new agent who doesn't have any contracts under the belt, they may have a mentor. Something to keep in mind with new agents is that they are eager to learn, eager to help, want to learn the business, and are willing to ask questions. So, just because they're a new agent doesn't mean that you need to discount them or ignore them. Sometimes they can be as great as experienced agents.
“You want somebody who's willing to do additional research for you because they want you to find the perfect home.” — Nina Hermann (01:58-02:06)
Find an agent who listens to you. One that demonstrates they understand your needs and desires. Somebody who resonates with you, that you feel that you connect to, and can trust. When it comes to the home buying process, it involves a lot of personal details. You also want somebody who communicates with you. There's nothing worse than being excited and eager to find your new home, and hearing crickets.
It is very time-consuming to find the right home and do the research. An agent who you don't hear from in days or a week may not be the best candidate for you. Especially if you are on a timeline, or eager and excited. You don't want somebody to deplete your excitement. You also want somebody who's going to work with you in your criteria.
It will often take additional research. It will take phone calls. It's not as simple as putting in some filters in the MLS, putting you on a quick campaign, and sending any listings that come up. You want somebody who's got the time and willingness to be able to do that for you. Someone who wants you to find the perfect home to meet your needs.
Part Two of ‘How to Find a Real Estate Agent for The Home Buyer’
You'll want your agent to work with the cooperating agent. Sometimes agents don't want to work nicely with each other. They want to protect their clients. Sometimes it requires both parties to compromise to work together and find solutions. You want an agent who's going to be a team player with the cooperating agent.You want an agent who's going to educate you through the process, let you know what's going to be done, and give you options on how to handle things. There's no one way to do everything. There's always a plethora of options. You want somebody who's experienced, willing to ask the right questions, and able to work with other people to accomplish those things.
“You want somebody who's able to communicate and do what they say.” — Nina Hermann (03:59-04:03)
Some agents will require you to sign a contract to work with them. There are loyalty agreements that outline and identify the responsibilities of both the agent as well as the clients. So you know what they're doing for you and what your responsibility is to them. The home buying and search processes are both very time-consuming. You want to respect the agent's time, but you also want them to be able to communicate and do the things that they say they're going to do for you.
If they're not doing those things, it's best to speak up about it and let them know it's not working. It is up to you whether or not you want to sign a contract and be in a committed relationship with that agent. Find someone who's willing to do the right thing for you. Talk to at least two to three agents before you decide, because once you make the decision, it is a commitment on both parts. Prepare a criteria list of what you're looking for in an agent.
How to Get Involved
The Vibrant Living Group helps make Real Estate easy. We understand that it can be challenging and stressful to buy, sell, or invest in Real Estate, and our goal is to minimize your stress and make the experience easy and satisfying. We first listen and then bring our experience and expertise to help you every step of the way to meet your goals, whether you are buying, selling, or investing: https://www.vibrantlivinggroup.com/.