In our last post, we discussed how the two most important items that any potential home buyer needed to focus on first was their credit and their mortgage pre-approval. Assuming all looked good in those areas, the next item to sit down and consider is how to pick the right real estate agent.
A real estate agent is a very important member of your home buying team.
Make sure that you pick the right person for you. Just like any team you are on, you want to ensure that the real estate agent as a member of that team gives you good balance and improves your experience. Do not just choose the first one you meet. Just like with your lender search make sure you do your due diligence. Ask your network for recommendations, if you already have a Lender ask them, go to open houses and talk with the realtors there and do some online reconnaissance. A bad agent or even a good agent who does not match well with your personality can really make the home buying experience a struggle, and during a time that is supposed to be fun and exciting it can add a lot of undue stress.
Now that you know how to find the right realtor.
You may be asking yourself what exactly will the realtor do besides drive me around in their car and show me houses? The answer is plenty. A great realtor will not only show you around the neighborhood to look at different homes to buy they will also be your primary advisor throughout the home buying process.
A few items that you should expect from your realtor include showing you homes, advising on the negatives and positives of each home you look at, and making sure you do not get into anything unexpected during the process of buying a home. They also should act as a referral source for other parties needed in the process, and most importantly, they help you negotiate a deal that you feel good about. Please contact us if you have any further questions regarding finding a good realtor or would like some assistance in finding one.
