How to Find a Great and Reliable Realtor You Can Trust

Selling or buying a house is an important and big financial decision. Finding a reliable professional to help you out is a crucial step to get the perfect deal and best return on investment.

If you, fortunately, find the right realtor, the whole process can go quite smoothly without a hitch. On the other hand, the wrong person can cause havoc on a deal and even lead you to lose the sale entirely.

It is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make.

You should always do the necessary research before hiring any service to ensure that you will find someone reliable and this goes for realtors too.

Here is a list of ways you can find a professional and reliable realtor for selling or buying your home.

Distinction Between Real Estate Agents and Realtors

As you can see online, there are lots of working real state agents, but all of them are not realtors. When the word realtor is used, it means that a licensed real estate agent is also a member of the National Association of Realtors.

To be a realtor, additional training and license requirements are needed. They complete ethics courses and examinations and commit to achieving the high standards of association which are even stricter than state and federal laws.

Above all else, they take the rights of their clients seriously.

Personality Matters

You should not only look at experience when choosing a realtor or real estate agent. After all, you will be spending a lot of time with this person and you don’t want personalities to clash.

Find an agent who is real and relatable. Try to choose someone that will work well with you and not merely for your home.

Also, this person should also be good at communicating and negotiation so they can get the deal done.

Neighborhood Information

It is crucial for agents to have knowledge about the neighborhoods they will be buying or selling in. This is how they will set the appropriate market price for your home and know the perks or downfalls of a certain area.

Do not only rely on the words of realtors who say they have extensive knowledge about a neighborhood. Instead,  ask them questions and test that supposed knowledge.

What are the benefits of living in this neighborhood? How has the neighborhood evolved over the past year? Guage their response and move forward accordingly.

Online Reviews

Dozens of websites allow users to leave reviews about real estate agents and realtors. Use some of your spare time to check the reviews of those you are interested in working with.

This will give you a good idea of their pros and cons.

Check Their License

It’s unfortunate but some people lie about having a real estate license. Luckily, you can check out ARELLO and see if they are legitimate.

On ARELLO (Association of Real Estate License Law Officials), you can search and verify your realtor’s registration and licensing.

Nothing’s worse than getting cause up in a scam.

Professional Attitude

A real and reliable realtor will have a professional and eager attitude. A person who takes forever responding to your emails or meeting you in person is not a professional.

Also, the ones who say they will contact you later but never do or reschedule meetings at the last minute are a no-go.

Such behaviors not only prove that the real estate agent is unreliable but also are just plain frustrating to deal with in general. Not the kind of person you want working for you!

Check Success Record

In other fields, an expert’s success rate is not always related to his trustworthiness, but in case of real estate business, it correlates. Successful realtors have visibly gained the confidence of their clients and co-workers.

People usually do not sell a home if they are getting unreasonable offers and don’t buy a house until they love it. SO the success of realtor tells about their competence and reliability.

Get Information From Past Clients

Talking to the past clients of a realtor is a good idea to get real information about them.

You can ask any of these below-mentioned questions from the clients:

• How was their experience with the realtor?
• What quality do you like the best and least about the realtor?
• How did they market your property? Was it effective?
• How was their response rate on emails and calls?
• Are they good at communicating?

Good Communication

One of the most important things to consider before hiring a realtor is your comfort level talking and communicating with them. You should feel comfortable sharing anything and everything about your property and anything else necessary with this person.

If you feel hesitated, awkward or pressured by a realtor, then stay away. They are obviously not the right person for this job.

Ask for Recommendations

Another right way to find a reliable realtor is to ask for recommendations from friends and family. Asking for recommendations from other real estate agents can also be a good option.

Agents will happily refer you to other professionals, especially if their specialty is different from your needs. Some real estate agents only sell investment or commercial properties and others work only with builders and new homes.

Search for Realtors Online

Search for the best agents in your area, and then go to their company websites. Check their profiles and experience levels but don’t rely totally on experience.

Remember newbies might have more time for you as compared to more experienced agents. And, again, don’t forget to read the reviews and comments of other clients on the website.

Choose A Realtor You Can Trust

Most realtors and real state agents use technology to market your house or to look for options for buying. But it requires a human to understand and work to accomplish your specific goals.

Take your time to find and choose a person who you can trust and respect.