Hi Leslie,
Great question, and especially applicable in a community like Golden which has such a wide variety of homes for sale and nuances with each community.
In all scenarios I suggest that the home searching process and the contract management is limited by it's weakest link. For example you may find an agent with a large franchise who simply isn't knowledgeable about a specific neighborhood and you may find a niche/neighborhood expert that doesn't have the resources to find you the best fitting home for your goals-- or the power/skill to negotiate well on your behalf.
I encourage you to interview several agents and discuss specific experiences in the areas you are searching, experiment with their search tools, and talk with their past clients to find out what the overall experience was.
A hybrid agent who possesses a passion for his clients needs first, experienced negotiating skills, best-in-class search tools, and deep market knowledge in the areas you are considering is the best option. There is a fine line between finding a top producing agent, with whom you only speak to once and the rest of your time is spent with their "team" and finding a top producing agent who handles all of the interaction with you personally with skill and care in every contact.
I'd love to be one of the agents you interview. I have a slew of satisfied customers in Golden, Evergreen, Conifer etc..., am passionate about Golden and have a wealth of resources to share with you.
To help you get started, take a look at my blog post about Golden (or really, just a recent day in Golden) at
http://www.denversrealestatenews.com/denver-luxury-homes-in-
I look forward to hearing from you.
Bob Maiocco
Broker Associate
Keller Williams
(720)273-4262 direct
follow me on Twitter: BobTheBroker
- Mon Aug 31 2009, 16:37