Have you ever considered buying or selling a home? A real estate agent should be on the top of your list. Although you can choose to sell or purchase a home without a real estate agent representing you, your resources and exposure will be severely hindered.
When choosing a REALTOR, your decision should be based on various factors: Communication, integrity, trustworthiness, and professionalism. You need to find an agent that is not only knowledgeable about real estate, but is able to represent your interests. A solid real estate agent is able to attend to your needs, and make sure that they will be there for you through thick or thin.
Here are some questions that you may ask in determining whether or not to hire a particular REALTOR:
- How long have you been actively selling real estate properties? Experience plays an important part in real estate agent’s skill sets. Find out if this is a full time or part time job for them. Nothing beats experience in assessing a real estate agent’s knowledge and skill sets. Although experience is not a total guarantee of an agent’s skills, it is a good test to gauge their expertise.
- What kind of credentials do you hold? Other than a real estate license from a state’s governing body, there are various types of certifications that a REALTOR can earn. These real estate certifications make sure that this agent has met standards for very specific designations. Some of these designations are CRS (Certified Residential Specialist), GRI (Graduate Realtors Institute), ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), and SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialists). These designations are sometimes denoted on a real estate agent’s business card.
- How many properties did you sell last year? A successful agent has various transactions pending or already sold. Knowing an agent’s track record is great indicator of how successful he will be in representing you.
- What marketing strategies do you use? A season real estate agent should have a proven strategy in marketing. Whether it’s buying or selling properties and agent should have a creative, innovative and current marketing strategy. Make sure to ask for testimonials and references.
Choosing a real estate that has the experience, professionalism, and communication skills that will fill your needs is crucial to the success of your goals.
I am a REALTOR and as a member of the National Association of REALTORS and the California Association of REALTORS, I adhere to a strict Code of Ethics that is above and beyond the standard practice. Please give me a call at 818-588-5728 or email me at anwar@realtorandyou.com.
REALTOR and You 