What's the best way to choose a good realtor?

Question

I'm going to be a first time homeowner and I haven't a clue where to begin

Answer 1

I can answer that from a buyers perspective:

There are a zillion realtors out there but you need to choose someone based on YOUR needs. Think about what you want in a home and what is important to you in the homebuying process. The realtor we chose worked well for us b/c we needed someone who was was able to view a home and tell us what issues we may experience. Resale value was also important to us so our realtor was able to point out which homes would have greater reasle value. Also negotiation was big for me too. I felt hat since this is a buyers market, negotitation was must and I was committed to not paying full price for anything. So make a list of whats important to you and find a realtor that emmulates that.

Answer 2

Depends on your circumstances. Sometimes getting a reference from family, friends or co workers is fine.  You could visit open houses and talk with each Realtor to get a feel for their experience and whether you want to work with them. Of course you could straight out interview several. The most important part is they have to be full time Realtors, in the business for several years, possibly have earned designations to indicate their specialities or expertise.  They have to be good listeners and have your best interests at heart.

Answer 3

Very tough because there are 10,000 in every city.  Of course you can ask friends but that doesn't always zero in on what you want.   Maybe the best is just to "try out" several and fire the ones who don't fit your personality (and the ones who don't work as hard as you want).

Answer 4

You don't specify whether you are buying or selling, but here are a few guidelines:

Interview at least three. Make sure they are full time and experieneced. You don't want a newbie or part-timer learning the business at your expense.

Ask specific questions-

-How many homes have you sold in the past year?

-How familiar are you with my area?

-Can you furnish me with references, past clients who are satisfied with you? Can you document your achievements?

This will guarantee that at the very least you have a full time agent with experience and a track record working for you. With that criteria, choose the one who feels like the best fit.

Good luck.