7 Tips For Finding a Great Real Estate Agent

Today’s economy doesn’t make it easy to buy or sell your house these days. Sure it is a buyers market, but sadly, banks are not so quick to lend money…at least not how they used to. And, most of the houses on the market are “short sales” so buyers might have to wait around several months before actually hearing a response from the bank…and that response may likely be “no”. Picture discovering the ideal house, putting in an offer, getting your heart set on purchasing the house only to learn several months later that the bank won’t accept your offer. Unfortunately, this is the reality when dealing with short sales. On the other hand, selling a home today is no picnic either. The fact of the matter is the supply is definitely significantly greater than the demand which will still keep prices low for a long time. Selling your home goes far beyond merely placing a “for sale” sign in your yard or putting your house in the classified ads. Therefore, whether you are buying or selling a home, having a real estate agent to help you out is important when looking for a quick and good deal.

However, with so many real estate agents out there, how does one choose the right person? Listed below are 7 points to look for when deciding on an real estate agent.

1. Conduct an Interview

The easiest way to get to know an agent is by talking to them in person. You could talk about what they think about a particular property, discuss their qualifications, ask about their previous transactions, any difficulties they’ve had with previous deals, and find out if their personality is a good fit with yours. Remember, whether you are buying or selling a home the chances are you will spend a reasonable amount of time with your Realtor so it’s better if you get along. You could also explain to the Realtor what kind of communication you expect and if he or she will be able to reciprocate that expectation.

2. Qualifications

Be sure to check out the real estate agent’s qualifications. Does the person have sufficient experience and knowledge, especially in your local area? They could have an impressive record in other places, but if they have limited knowledge in your region they won’t be any help to you at all.

3. Referrals

Ask your family and friends if they can recommend somebody. Ask them for information regarding their experience with their Realtor. Remember, nobody knows you better than your friends and family and their is no one you can trust more with their recommendation.

4. Customer Service

A real estate agent ought to be easy to contact and communicate with…especially with the technology we have nowadays. In addition, real estate agents should be working weekends. Sure everybody is allowed their days off and we all need to be able to spend time with the family, but the fact is a Realtor’s job entails working on the weekends so make sure your Realtor is willing to do so. An agent’s customer service represents how professional they are and how seriously they take the job.

5. Familiarity with the Area

This is a critical point when selecting a real estate agent. The agent that you choose should be aware of the market in the region where you are buying or selling your property. The agent should have first hand understanding of the competition in the area, the local schools and community, and of course, the price range.

6. Use of Tools and Technology

These days your real estate agent has to be able to do more than just put your home in your local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Today’s Realtor should list your home in all the other real estate websites such as Realtor.com, Craigslist, Zillow, Trulia, Oodle and many others. Also, today’s Realtor needs to be familiar with using YouTube and other top video sites as well as social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

7. Readiness to Hold Open Houses

Ok, the truth is a house is seldom ever sold via an open house. For this reason, it is not essential for your Realtor to do an open house every Saturday and Sunday on every weekend. Nevertheless, open houses do help remind the community that your house is for sale so an open house every few weeks is obviously a good thing.

If you’re planning to buy or sell Sarasota real estate, or any real estate in the Mid-Florida area, then get in touch with uKeepCommission Real Estate. At uKeepCommission Real Estate we are going to list your property in the Mid-Florida MLS, syndicate your listing to more than 20 other real estate websites, create and post your video, and provide you with a professional “for sale” sign and lock box all for a single flat fee. For more information on how uKeepCommission Real Estate can save you money call 941-465-9207 or visit us online at http://www.uKeepCommission.com Real Estate.