Written By: Madeleine Brooks
Purchasing or selling a piece of real estate can be a time consuming and stressful process. By hiring the right real estate agent (or broker) can make this process smooth and easy. A real estate agent is a licensed professional who find buyers for the homeowner. As a homeowner, a real estate agent can help you price and value your home realistically because of their wealth of knowledge.
How do you choose the right real estate agent? When you are deciding on a professional, you are looking at their experience, qualifications and professionalism. There are several questions one should ask the agent before working with her/him. Questions such as:
1. Is this your first profession?
2. How long have you been working in the real estate business?
3. How many homes have you bought and sold for customers?
4. Do you have references from previous buyers and sellers?
What defines a great real estate agent? The most important quality is how the agent behaviors and if they are professional in the time they are working for you. You don't want an overly friendly relationship with your real estate agent, you want someone who does his or her job properly and takes it seriously. A great real estate agent presents himself or herself in a professional manner verbally and looks physically professional too. You don't want a real estate agent who dresses sloppy or inappropriately, that indicates that they don't take their job seriously and won't aid you in a professional manner.
A great real estate agent knows the area in which they are buying or selling a home. The agent should be knowledgeable about the school district, local hospitals, any history about the town and other useful information about the location in which you plan on buying or selling a home. The agent should also be aware of local, state real estate laws and requirements that will benefit the customer.
Another trait is a real estate agent should be consistent with their behavior regardless of the mood they are in. A homeowner or home buyer should never feel pressured or bad by their agent because the agent has their own personal agenda or problem. The most important trait I believe is essential for a real estate agent is their legal obligation to you. The real estate agent should be conducting business in an ethical manner and disclosing all information good and bad. The real estate agent needs to be ethical and honest at the same time, if not, the agent should not even be considered.
References:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Characteristics-of-Good-Real-Estate-Agents&id=1925596
Personal Finance Skills for Life by Vickie Bajtelsmit (pages 257 - 258)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua_XJodNLj4
