Buying or selling a home is an exciting but challenging journey, filled with many complicated details and unpredictable emotions. That’s why choosing the right agent to serve as your guide is a critical part of the process, and should be given its due diligence.
How to find the right real estate professional to work with? You may naturally be inclined to work with an agent who has received many accolades and awards. While this is certainly an excellent sign that your agent is good at what they do, you’ll need to dig a little deeper. Here are five questions you should ask when interviewing an agent and what their responses may indicate, good and bad.
How long have you lived and/or worked in the area? One of the most important qualities your agent should have is local expertise. While an agent may not have been in the real estate business very long, they may have lived and worked in the area in another career for many years and have a deep knowledge of the locale and many key connections.
Did you have another job before you were a real estate agent? Perhaps the agent you’re interviewing has been in the real estate business for decades, which is great. But many real estate agents come to the profession after a previous career, which is not necessarily a bad thing. If your REALTOR was formerly a teacher or a police officer, for example, they’ll have many connections and knowledge of the community, critical factors when buying or selling a home.
What are your favorite social media sites? You’ll want to find out if your REALTOR has a strong social media presence because it could play a big role in getting your home sold. Be sure to find out which sites they use—if they’ve gone beyond the standard Facebook and Instagram to try newer social strategies like SnapChat and TiKTok, this may speak to their ability to be innovative and connect with a wider range of people.
What’s the hardest part of being a REALTOR? How a REALTOR answers this question could reveal a lot. If they complain about long hours or having to deal with difficult clients and colleagues, for example, they might not be as enthusiastic about their career and their dedication to helping clients as you would hope.
What do you love most about being a REALTOR? The answer to this question will help you get a better understanding of an agent’s “why,” and how truly passionate they are about real estate and helping people. If the answer is “the commissions,” however, you might want to reconsider!