How do I choose a REALTOR® | Baltimore Real Estate
FREE Home Valuation * Make an appointment
Buying a home is one of the biggest financial and most important decisions you will make. Hiring a REALTOR® to help with the process is critical.
Hiring the right professional is key to make this huge task a success. Learn how to choose a REALTOR®.
Does it really matter who I work with?
Yes, yes and YES!
Every REALTOR® practices differently. There are teams, individual agents, buyer agents, seller agents. It's very important to understand the difference. If you like working with one person and knowing that you will be talking directly to that same person throughout the transaction, that would be a different experience vs working with a team of agents where you could be talking to multiple people. Personal preference.
Let's get you started with a few questions to ask your potential REALTOR®
Questions to ask your potential REALTOR®
1. What hours do you work?
2. Do you work on weekends or holidays?
3. What areas do you serve?
4. Do you work with buyers?
5. Will I be talking to you or someone else throughout?
6. Can you recommend the people I'll need like lenders, inspectors, title etc.?
7. Do you text?
8. Can you send me a list of homes on the market?
9. How are you compensated?
10. What do you need from me, the buyer?
While these are not the only questions to ask, they are a great start. Especially if you've have never meet your REALTOR® before or found them online.
Hours:
It's important to know what hours your agent will be available to meet with you and show you homes. Some agents only work weekdays. Some only work on Saturdays and not Sundays, etc. It's key to ensure that your schedules can compliment each others. This becomes even more important for a successful working relationship, especially if buyer has a non traditional schedule for example working third shift, etc.
Weekends:
Not all agents work on weekends. Some may not even be accessible by phone or email. There is nothing wrong this as it is a business choice for some agents. However, it's important that it be communicated up front to avoid potential conflict.
Service Areas:
Some agents only work in a particular neighborhood, zip code, county, price range etc. Again nothing wrong with this business practice so long as it's communicated up front.
Who do you work with?:
Some agents only exclusively work with sellers or buyers and not both. Some work with both. Please ask so you know the difference and how you wish to be represented.
Who will I be talking to?:
Buyers, you should be aware that there are different structures now, with the popularity of teams. It's a total preference as a buyer. If you prefer one on one, working with an individual agent may be the way to go. If you are ok with talking to multiple people, a team may work as well. You should ask more questions to see how the communication will flow on a team, as always.
Recommendations:
Talk to your REALTOR® about this practice. Some states are strict, and becoming more strict, about agents making recommendations. Some agents may encourage you to do research and pick the best resource and others may have some recommendations. Some states have gotten strict about referring to buyers as agents may be held liable. Crazy eh? But it's true.
Texting:
Believe it or not. There are still some "old school" folks that practice that don't text or communicate via social media. There are reasons I'm sure. However this can be a convenient and easy way to communicate information fast. If you are like me and like to text, make sure your agent is comfortable communicating in this fashion as well.
List of homes:
This should be easy, but I've worked with buyers who were previously working with someone who didn't have a website or tools to send listings? I was shocked to see this considering all of the options for services available to agents today. In the mean time make sure your agent has the resources to send you homes that are on the market and may meet your criteria.
Compensation:
This is an important question that is regularly over looked. Ask. When you hire a REALTOR®, while typically they are not paid upfront, they are paid when the transaction closes. Traditionally the seller pays for the agents, but there are many instances where the buyers may have to pay the buyers agent and not the seller. For example if a for sale by owner property is not cooperating with agents, but it's a home you want to buy, the buyers have to pay the brokers commission. Worth every penny.
What do you need from me?:
More and more buyers are asking me what I need from them. EXCELLENT QUESTION! This is a 2 way working relationship. For it to be a success the following items are needed (and given back in return):
Communication
Honesty
Preapproval Letter
Enthusiasm
In closing
Remember, these are lifestyle and business decisions agents make to run their business and provide a quality of life for their family. Just have a conversation to make sure that your schedules will compliment each others and avoid any conflict before beginning a working relationship.
Provided courtesy of Helene Kelbaugh of
