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Things You Should Consider When Looking for a Real Estate Agent
The process of buying or selling a house is without a doubt, not an easy one due to the many complexities, and that is probably one of the many reasons why most homeowners and aspiring ones seek out the services of real estate agents. A good real estate agent will assure you of a smooth buying or selling process since he or she knows the intricacies of the real estate market, is well connected in the industry and is also has great listening skills. Since buying or selling a house one of the major financial decisions you will ever make, it is highly advisable to find a trusted real estate agent to take you through the process. However, with the ever-increasing number of real estate agents in the market, selecting the best one can be quite stressful. You may, therefore, need to consider some factors as will be discussed below find a real estate agent that will best cater to your property needs.
The type of agent you need is one crucial factor you should consider when looking for a real estate agent. There are three major categories of real estate agents including those that represent the seller, those that represent the buyer commonly known as the buyers’ agent, as well as those that represent both. Therefore, if you are considering buying a house, you should settle on a buyer’s agent to represent you in all the relevant real estate transactions such as finding listings that fall within your budget, scheduling showings, negotiating with the seller for the best deal as well as taking you through the closing process. On the other hand, if you are looking to sell your house, you should opt for a listing agent to represent your interests. A good seller’s agent will give you the right recommendations about the sale price of your home, list your home on the multiple listing service, market your property as well as plan for open houses and negotiate on your behalf. You should, therefore, identify the type of real estate agent you need to have an easy time choosing the right one depending on your needs.
When choosing a real estate agent, you should also consider the aspect of licensing and disciplinary history. Many property owners and aspiring ones have fallen victim to unscrupulous real estate agents due to the failure to do extensive research on such service providers. To avoid falling prey to such individuals, you should settle on a real estate agent that is validly licensed as mandated by the state. You should ask for the agent’s licensing details and verify their authenticity on the relevant authority.
The other essential aspect you should look at when choosing a real estate agent is their listings. You should check whether the real estate agent of your choice has an attractive presentation on the web in terms of whether the listings closely mirror the property you wish to buy or sell. A good real estate agent will have enough listings and not too many as that would mean that you may have to wait for days to get a call from him or her, an aspect that can greatly inconvenience you if you have time constraints.