Rudy Bachraty’s Real Estate Blog
Real Estate Strategies - Social Media, Marketing, Technology & Mobile
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How to Pick the Best Real Estate Agent for You
Written by Rudy Bachraty, Social..., Real Estate Pro in Fort Collins
January 5, 2009 6:59 AM
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When buying or selling a home, we already know why it's important to have an experienced local real estate agent on your side representing your best interests. The next step is to find the best agent for you. People find agents in many different ways. I'd like to share some of the most common and the most effective online and offline methods for finding your next real estate agent.
Pre-Search Checklist:
Before your start doing your homework, I want you to envision your ideal real estate agent. Write down your thoughts. Then start searching.....
Online:1. Search Google - Enter the City, State, zip code, neighborhood, community and/or building you are interested in. See which websites and blogs appear on the first few pages and then research the agents on each site and blog.
2. Search Trulia and Trulia Voices - On Trulia, search for listings in the market your interested in based on your specific criteria. See what agents are coming up in the searches. Then check their profiles to learn more about them.
Then on Trulia Voices, enter the City, State, zip code, neighborhood, community and/or building you're looking in to see what our community of agents and other professionals have posted. Each community members Trulia Profile can serve as their Real Estate Resume - the more complete it is the easier it can be for you as a consumer to make a better informed decision. Click on the links they have to their websites or blogs of choice, read their About Me section and Testimonials. Peruse through their entire repository of Blog posts and Questions and Answers - it will give you a better understanding of who they are and how they think about the local market, pricing, negotiating and more....
3. Use other Non-Real Estate specific Social Media Sites - Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Yelp and Meetup.com all give consumers opportunities to meet proactive real estate agents.
4. Get an Online Referral - If you find an agent that you like but they seem to be outside your geographic search area, ask them if they can refer you to someone they trust in the market you're interested in.
Offline:
Offline:1. Ask your friends and neighbors - Get recommendations on who they recently used to buy or sell a home.
2. Visit local Real Estate Brokerage offices - Ask to interview the top 3 agents based on your search criteria and wants.
3. Check the Signage - See who's name/company are on the For Sale, Sold or Just Listed signs in your neighborhood. Yes, contact agents you see on billboards, bus benches, car wraps, shopping carts and more.... Give them a call as some Top producing real estate agents have a stronger offline marketing and advertising presence than their online brethren do.
I've done that, Now What?
So you've painted a picture of who your ideal real estate agent would be, done your online and offline homework and made a list and checked it twice. Did you find them? I sure hope so.
When deciding on what real estate agent to work with, sometimes is just a gut feeling that helps you decide. Ultimately, you have to trust the agent you're working with. You should have good chemistry. After all, it's a relationship you're forming. It just has to feel right. An agent that has the the right mix of local knowledge, experience, professionalism, integrity and personality is the one that can be the difference between finding a good house versus finding your dream home.
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Comments
I think local knowledge it the key ingredient for consumers. Just because some one has their real estate license does not make them an expert or qualified to sell where ever they want. It is the local knowledge and expertise that makes us valuable. Just like you wouldn't necessarily want a heart doctor working on your brain, you wouldn't want an agent with no knowledge of the area trying to help you buy or sell.