What should i look for in a Realtor?

Question

I'm looking to buy my first house.

What kind of things/qualities should i look for when looking for a realtor?

Is it better to go through someone small and local? Or go through a large company like Century 21 or something like that?

Answer 1

Don't rely or think an agent will find you that perfect home. With the internet, a person can see the homes as soon as they come listed. You can see overhead view and see what the previous home owner paid using web sites such as zillow.

When I purchase my home, my agent was showing homes in areas I had no interest in buying.  When it came down to finding my home, I found it, did all the research and seen the home from above. All  I needed was someone with a key to let me into the home. He drafted and submitted my offer, after that I dealt with the lender. Oh yeah, he gave me my key and he got a big fat check.

Answer 2

Agents are local whether they work for a big or a small brokerage. Ask some friends and family if they have an agent that they have used and would recommend.

You want an agent who listens more than they talk. One who is interested in what you are looking for in a home and some one who is working at real estate full time and knows the market.

If they only want to show you their listings, run.

You need to talk to a loan professional at some point to get pre-qualified so that you are looking in the right price range and know what you might be asking for in terms of assistance from the seller so that you can structure the offer correctly when you do find a property. Your loan officer can probably also recommend a Realtor or two for you to talk to. I know I love to have a qualified buyer to refer to my Realtor partners.

Good luck and happy house hunting.