I was working on some of our marketing the other day and I thought to myself, “Man, finding a realtor can be hard.”  There are literally thousands of agents in every community, how can one filter out all the noise and get a real estate agent who is really looking out for you?

Finding a realtor can be hard.  However, it doesn’t have to be with a few very simple tips. 

  1. Get referrals
  2. Avoid inexperienced agents
  3. Interview multiple agents
  4. Use common sense
  5. Research potential real estate agents
  6. Good communication is key

Get Referrals

Have one of your friends or family members recently bought or sold a home?  What was their experience like with the Realtor they chose?  Positive?  Negative?  Would they refer that agent to you ?  Why or why not?  When real estate clients get good service from their Realtor, they are likely to mention that.  We’ve operated this way as a culture for thousands of years and it seems to work.  After all, who do you trust, your friend or some advertisement?

Avoid Inexperienced Agents

Do you trust a doctor who has never performed a surgery to operate on you?  Why would you trust an inexperienced real estate agent?  The average real estate agent in our market does 12 deals a year.  If your agent isn’t doing any transactions, how do they know what the market is doing?  They don’t, and this inexperience can cost you thousands either as the buyer or the seller.  Don’t take risks with what can be one of the more important financial decisions you can make.  Experience matters…choose a Realtor who has experience.

Interview Agents

While it’s great and all to look up an agent on Zillow and put in your contact info, maybe Zillow isn’t the right way to go about it?  No, the best plan is to interview a real estate agent.  There are all sorts of questions you can ask.  Keep in mind that the most experienced and professional Realtors won’t be offended as they want to have a good “fit” as much as you do.  Below is a list of questions you might want to start with.

How long have you been a Realtor?

What is your favorite part of your job?

Do you work in specific areas? 

How many transactions do you typically do in a year?

You are looking for answers that seem out of place.  For example, if an agent says they’ve represented over 100 transactions a year, that might raise a few eyebrows when the average agent is doing 20.  If a Realtor doesn’t sound enthused about their job, that’s probably no a good person to work with on the search for your dream home.

Use Common Sense

Be careful when choosing to work with a Realtor who is working for your interests above theirs.  It’s perfectly fine for a Realtor to expect to be paid when a deal is completed, it’s not acceptable to push you into making a decision to buy or sell to suit their interests above yours.  Your Realtor works for you.  Don’t let them change that dynamic.

Research Potential Real Estate Agents

What if one of your “friends” gives you a referral that is awful?  How can you work to guard against that?  Research your potential real estate agent on the internet and social media.  If you are uncomfortable with what they post or say, don’t work with them.  It’s 2019.  Best to look up a Realtor before you start working with them.  Professional Realtors know what belongs on social media and what doesn’t.  Work to find that professional.

Good Communication Is Key

At this point, you’ve gathered referrals, you’ve avoided inexperienced agents, you’ve  researched potential real estate agents, and your common sense tells you that you’ve found a Realtor.  That may or not be true, as finding a realtor can be hard.  The most important question to ask yourself is, “Can I communicate well with this Realtor?”  After all, there are going to be times when that Realtor is going to have to give you bad news.  You want to work with someone who communicates well, and with whom you can communicate as well.  Communication is the key to finding a Realtor.  If nothing else find A realtor you can communicate with.

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