Perhaps you’ve heard good reviews from friends or colleagues about a certain realtor, but after an initial meeting, you don’t feel like they are the best fit to help you. Maybe you have previous experience working with your current realtor, but you feel unsure about whether or not you should work with them again. Choosing a real estate agent is a big decision, and you can use the questions below to be sure you are making the best choice about who will help you buy a new home or sell your current home.
1. How easily can you communicate with your real estate agent?
It’s incredibly frustrating when you have a question to ask your realtor, and you’re not able to get a response even after texting or calling multiple times. Perhaps your realtor has a habit of taking several hours – or even multiple days – to get back to you. They always apologize and explain how busy they are, but the same scenario continues to play out over and over again. This can be especially difficult to accept if you’re shopping for homes in a competitive market and you know that you need to act quickly if you don’t want to get passed over for another buyer who is able to submit an offer more quickly. Make sure you’re partnering with a realtor who has a solid communications strategy and is able to respond consistently within a reasonable timeframe.
2. Does your real estate agent’s personality mesh with yours?
Ideally, you want to work with a realtor who is affable, positive, and passionate about what they do. You certainly don’t want to partner with someone who is disrespectful or who regularly oversteps their boundaries in the relationship. If you don’t feel comfortable asking your realtor any question that comes to mind, or if you always feel like you are belittled or written off when you share genuine concerns, perhaps there’s a better person out there for you to entrust with your business.
3. How involved has your agent been with the market in recent months?
One piece of advice you’ll often hear about finding a realtor is to check for recent sales. This tells you how involved they are with their real estate practice and how familiar they are with recent trends and patterns. Typically a full-time realtor is one who has closed ten or more sales over the past year. You would prefer to learn that one or two of these sales have happened in recent months. This gives you confidence that your realtor is well-informed on the current state of the market. It also means that they have recently worked with other agents and key industry professionals such as home inspectors and title companies. If your realtor hasn’t completed many sales over the past year, it’s possible that real estate is only a side hustle for them. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but it could impact their ability to give you their complete focus and attention, especially if another job is taking up a significant amount of their time.
4. Are you receiving multiple offers but still waiting to close a deal?
Have you received multiple offers on your home only to see them fall through before completion? This may be a sign that something is happening during the negotiating process. An effective realtor knows how to negotiate to get you the best possible price. They also have strong insight and intuition that tells them when it’s time to make small compromises and what needs to happen in order to close the deal.
5. How effectively is your realtor marketing your home?
Unless you’re able to successfully market your home, you won’t generate any interest from potential buyers, and your home will sit on the market for weeks or months at a time. An effective realtor is well-informed about new marketing strategies. They also know how to use tried-and-true methods to their advantage. If you haven’t already discussed a marketing plan with your realtor, make a point to ask them what their intentions are for marketing your home. If they don’t know how to answer the question or if you feel like they are lacking in this area, perhaps this is a sign that it’s time to find someone else to work with.
6. What does your realtor know about the current state of the market?
Real estate agents should have a deep understanding of what is happening with the housing market on both a local and national level. They can use this wisdom and insight to educate you on how to make the best possible decisions when buying or selling a home. If your realtor is confused or uninformed about what the market is currently doing, you may struggle to effectively price your home or you may be confused about how to proceed once negotiations begin. Your realtor should be flexible enough to respond to what the market is doing right now. What worked five or ten years ago may not be the best approach today. Their perspective must change and evolve based on the current times.
7. Can you trust your real estate agent?
If you feel like your realtor isn’t being honest with you or if you don’t trust their character, this is a serious red flag. You don’t want to work with someone who will misrepresent you or the home that you’re selling. If you get the feeling that your agent lacks character or integrity, you will be better off ending the relationship and choosing someone else to help you with your transaction.
Fernanda Negromonte has spent many years working in the local real estate market. Over that time, she has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted and knowledgeable realtors throughout Winter Garden and the surrounding area. She would be honored to partner with you as you work to buy a new home or sell your current property.
Fernanda Negromonte has spent many years working in the local real estate market. Over that time, she has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted and knowledgeable realtors throughout Winter Garden and the surrounding area. She would be honored to partner with you as you work to buy a new home or sell your current property.
