Hi there Skip! There are some excellent resources to help find a good Realtor anywhere in the country! Welcome to the states!!

Skippy,

All great answers from a variety of qualified agents in San Diego. My suggestion is to choose a few agents to interview, get client referrals that you can contact for references & trust your instincts.

Katie Holmes
Prudential California Realty
http://www.SanDiegoHomesbyHolmes.com http://www.HomesbyHolmes.Listingbook.com - Search for homes
http://www.zhibit.org/kholmes (Click to view fine art by Katie)
http://katieholmes.posterous.com/ (Read my blog)

Hi Skippy, Some of my best buds are beach vollyball players over there!
I'm located in San Diego, why don't you interview me?

100% of my buyer recommend me, testimonials on my website - if you're interested.

Cheers!

Skippy,
I have great referral for you.
One of the top Realtors in San Diego.

I don't know how Real Estate works in down under, but here buyers typically do not pay for a Realtor's services in a purchase. However, you still want the best representation available, that means referrals are important.

Hello, are you familiar with our city/county of San Diego already from prior visits? Are you going to be working here and want to be within a certain distance from your job site? Do you have younger children and are looking at specific school districts? Do you know our marketplace from doing your own research on the internet? Are you pre-approved for a specific loan amount and know what your mortgage payment will be and what you are comfortable with? Have you researched our cost of living indexes? These are all very important questions to save you time/money/energy prior to landing here. As a native San Diegan and an Accredited Buyer's Representative with our National Association of Realtors, I can tell you that these are all preliminary questions that a Realtor will be able to assist you with. Ask them for referrals once you narrow your Realtor search down to 2-3 agents. Be open/honest about your goals/dreams and you should be on your way to attaining them.
Best of luck, Bianca Romani, Realtor

Hi, Skippy :)
Cool name.
I agree with most of the agents here.
Definetely 1. make sure the agent is actually a Realtor ( not all agents are ),
2. Make sure they do it full time,
3. Find out whether you both are a good fit ( it is always better to work with somebody who you actually get along with )
4. Check how involved they are in the community, passionate about their job, knowledgable about the area, and ready to serve your best interests, (and you do that by meeting them)
5. Understand that you are hiring an agent and the other way around, so you both are intitled to interview each other and ask questions to figure out whether you want to work together.
6. Track record is great, although a newer agent might have all the same access and knowledge but work that much harder for you, and give you the personalized attention you deserve


I have a video blog on youtube, check it out if you want to find out more about me. :)
http://www.youtube.com/chornarealestate
Good luck, Skippy

Sincerely,
Khrystyna Chorna
619.808.7064

Skippy, You just did. I have over 20 years experience as a Realtor in San Diego County and I have personally sold over 2,500 homes. Stop by my site and send me an email if you think e are a good match.

http://www.dawnsellssandiego.com/

Hi Skippy:

First, welcome to San Diego. Second, finding a good realtor is a matter of interviewing about 3 different agents. Asking questions such as their connection to the realtor community, how they keep up the newests law changes and market conditions, do they sell real estate full time or part time, what their background is.

Feeling comfortable with an agent is important. You will need to know that that person is doing the best job possible for you.

I wish you success in your endeavors here in San Diego. Please let me know if you would like more details or have other questions about San Diego. I would be happy to help and be one of the agents with whom you talk.

Please let me know how I can help...regards. Maria Weiss

Hi, good advice offered below. I would add to it... keep it simple by doing these three things:

1. Make a list of the top items that are important to you, i.e. quick reply time, good advice, credible trustworthiness, good listener who replies back with info that is meaningful to you, proven track record, no pressure, etc...

2. Browse the web like you're doing to make contacts and feel things out.

3. Interview 4 or 5 of the ones you like best and rank them in each category.

Then give the agent you select a chance to do the whole job without using other agents. If the agent you're working with can trust they'll get a commission in the end, they'll go to every length to give you excellent service. If they suspect you're not going to be loyal to them... they'll focus on the clients who will.

Finally, don't sign any sort of exclusivity agreement, until such time as you feel they deserve it. For example, I ask for this commitment by the time we submit offers. But until you get a feeling that I'll show you as many listings as it takes to find the perfect one, and until you feel I am very competent in the actions I demonstrate (rather than promise) my take is that I haven't really earned your business. Once I do, we're on the same page, and we get your goal accomplished together.

I hope you find a great agent to help you find the perfect home at a price you can afford :)

Hi Skippy,

I agree with all the advice offered below. Finding yourself a good realtor is certainly an important decision.

My folks live near Coff's harbour in NSW and I am well aware of how different the real estate laws are. I think that renting for a while may be the way to go unless you know which area you are interested in. This would also give you some time to find a realtor you can trust........and want to work with.

Cheers mate, hope this helps.

Here are 8 Reasons Why You Should Work With a REALTOR®. Perhaps this will help you make a decision about picking a REALTOR®. Do you know what area of town you want to live in? Price range, style of home? How are you financing your pruchase?

There are several good realtors in the area. Sit down with a few once you get here and ask them a few questions. Pick one you trust and like. You will do fine.

If you want to look at homes in the area first, you can see some at http://JoanWilson.PrudentialCal.com

Let me know if I can help you in any way!


Joan Wilson (Realtor, SRES, Ecobroker)


California Cool 4 Sale
Prudential California Realty
Direct Phone: 760-757-3468
Fax: 760-946-7894
JoanWilson@prusd.com
License # 01341483

Skippy: If you do not have a trusted friend who has direct experience with their Realtor and feels confident in referring you, then ask co-workers... anyone you know and trust. An agent who has been referred is a valuable commodity, as there are MANY different experience, knowledge and integrity levels of agents in the field. It takes many years of experience to properly protect the best interests of our clients. Try to find someone who has MANY years experience. I am a 19 year veteran, and rely strongly on my well served clients to keep referring me. Other than that, you may want to start with the agents who have responded to you here... Pick 2 or 3 whose answer appeals to you, call them and confirm they have knowledge of the area you wish to purchase , and go meet with them to get your gut reaction and the feeling that they will be working in YOUR best interest! Good luck! Ellen Hayes, Remax United

Hi Skippy,

I think Sergio has a very good point. You want to find a realtor that you are comfortable working with and experience with the contract side of the business as well. The buyers market in San Diego in the lower end has become very aggressive. Your realtor needs to be doing real estate full time and ready to act on a property right away. I have many buyers that are speak to everyday to make sure we are staying on the market. Before I write an offers on a property I always do a quick comparative anyalsis to let my client know where the current value of the home is and then they decide what they want to offer on the home.

I recommend that you interview a few agents in the area and decide which one will work best with you. There are a lot of great realtors in San Diego.

Happy House Hunting. Please feel free to visit my website for more information on my team and the San Diego Area.
http://www.encinitasproperties.net

Hi Skippy,

Our advice is simple, rent for a while (at least 6 months) so you get to know San Diego and where you would want to settle. While you are doing that, ask people about the agent they used and why. Interview Realtors until you find someone you click with.

If you do choose to rent, check out http://sandiego.craigslist.org/ and search under Housing. You can customize your search and 85% to 90% of the homes rented in San Diego come from this site.

Below are links to two different blogs that people have found helpful.

http://www.trulia.com/blog/mark_kari_shea/2009/04/what_buyer…

And if you are interested in finding an agent here:

http://www.trulia.com/blog/mark_kari_shea/2009/04/how_to_che…

We hope this is helpful.

Best regards,

Mark and Kari Shea
Real Estate Experts Serving San Diego County
Specialists in Investment Properties, Foreclosures, Short Sales,
Development Opportunities & Traditional Real Estate

Hello Skippy,

I have to agree with the some of the others that answered this question; you need to make contact and build a relationship with an agent and know you are comfortable with them. Working with a major real estate company can add a sense of comfort to some. We at Realty Executives are an international company and have offices in Australia and most other parts of the world so we do a lot of relocation. But ultimately it is the relationship between you and the agent that is most important.

Also in choosing an agent, they should have a good relationship with other service providers you will need to complete your transaction, i.e. mortgage professionals, home inspectors, escrow and title, etc...

I hope this helps. You are welcome to contact me at SanDiegoRealEstate@gmx.com and search for homes in all of San Diego County at http://www.SanDiegoShortSaleStore.com

Sincerely,
Jonathan Werdenberg
Relocation Specialist
DRE #01310000

Skippy,
I work for Chicago Title and in my job as a sales representative, I work with multiple Realtors, Lenders, Escrow officers, Appraisers, Home Inspectors etc.. I have been working with Chicago Title for 17+ years and was a military officer/pilot for 20 years before that, so I have lots of experience with the quality and knowledge of many real estate professionals. As a buyer, you would probably use many of the people I mentioned previously and I would be happy to give you a recommendation. I would choose the Realtor and Appraiser, if needed, on the specifc area you are interested in. You might also find the following link helpful in researching the qualities of different locations. I would recommend touching base with a great lender first, since the financing portion of your purchase is of the utmost importance.
http://fredeckertgroup.com/template32/nextpage.asp?mnu=49318
The bottom link has lots of useful area and buyer/seller information too. Good Luck with you house hunting.

In the housing market, knowledge is paramount to being able to make good choices. San Diego is a large county. I recommend you narrow down what areas of San Diego you will be searching in and select an experienced Realtor in those neighborhoods.

You need a Realtor with a proven track record specific to where you are searching.

No idea about San Diego neighborhoods or where you're going to start your search? Any Realtor responding to your question on this site can get you started.

Good day mate.

Hi Skippy,

There are a number of great REALTORs in the San Diego area, and probably many who will answer your question posed here. If you have the chance, the only way you will find the REALTOR who is right for you is to meet them in person, and just find someone with whom you are comfortable working.

We would love to be able to help you out at Engelby Real Estate, and we have worked with many people relocating from other countries. We have three law school-educated agents working with us who will really be able to protect your needs.

Feel free to drop me an e-mail if you have any questions about the current San Diego market. brian@sdcoastproperties.com.

Best of luck!

Brian Adkins, Esq.

Hi Skip, I'd say your best avenue is to get a personal recommendation from someone you trust. It's difficult to figure out if an Agent is right for you until you've heard from someone they've served. Other than that I'd say it would be best to meet a dew agents face to face so you can get a feel for how their ability, attitude and style fit your needs. Please feel free to contact me via email at sergio@safeharbormm.com if you'd like to discuss your needs and the housing market in San Diego. Our company is based specifically on superb customer service and I'm sure we could serve your needs well. Best of luck on your move, I hope to hear from you soon.

Sergio