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Although you can certainly buy or sell real estate without one, there are definite advantages in working with a real estate professional.
The first is peace of mind. During the past few decades, real estate transactions have become increasingly complicated. A realtor can help navigate the potential pitfalls and prevent you from making stupid mistakes. Second, a realtor can save you money by using his/her experience to negotiate in your best interest. Third, a realtor can save you time and aggravation by taking care of all the many details of a real estate sale.
If you decide to work with a realtor, use these criteria:
1. Make sure your realtor works full time. Real estate is a full time profession. A realtor cannot give you peace of mind, save you money and save you time if he/she has another job or only works on weekends. So, ask the realtor directly – do you work full time? Be concerned about an evasive answer. To be sure, ask the realtor how many transactions he/she had during the previous year and the year before that. Full time agents have at least 20 sales per year.
2. Make sure the realtor is experienced. Why work with a rookie or a new agent who may be learning the business at your expense? The more experience the better - 3 years is the minimum. Again, ask the realtor how many transactions he/she had last year and the year before. Good experienced agents sell more than 30 homes per year
3. Choose someone you are comfortable with – someone who is like you, has the same outlook on life, has a good sense of humor. Trust your instinct on this. Most agents have been taught to get you into or out of a house as fast as possible so they can go to their next sale. Look for an agent who understands that this is one of the biggest transactions of your life and is willing to proceed at your pace.
4. Make sure that there is an “ out clause” in the contract, which allows you to terminate the contact whenever you want. You don’t want to get stuck with a bad agent for 5 or 6 months.
5. Look for a realtor who is comfortable with computers and the internet. This will save you time and aggravation.
6. Select a realtor who works in your area. That usually means communities that are directly adjacent to the town where his/her office is located or a little bit beyond.
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