Buying a house can be complicated if you’re not familiar with how real estate transactions work.
There are formalities. There are contracts. There are title searches with serious legal implications involved.
For many busy, non-realtors who just want to buy a house and get settled in, hiring a real estate agent just makes sense.
But with over 2 million real estate agents active and practicing in the U.S., finding the right person can be harder than it seems.
What does a good real estate agent look like? How can you be sure that the person you’re interviewing will do an amazing job?
Here are 4 qualities to look for when you’re hiring a real estate agent.
1. They Know the Area Well
There’s knowing a town in the sense of being able to get around with the help of Google Maps. And then there’s knowing it well enough to have the next-level knowledge needed for you to get the house you want.
Can your real estate agent speak to the school system that these properties are based in? Do they know anything about how developed the neighborhood is or where the nearby amenities are?
Plain and simple, if the agent you’re interviewing appears to have a superficial knowledge of your community, you may have some cause for concern.
A real estate agent who lives, eats, and breathes the local real estate market, however, will be able to help you identify the right property as soon as it comes along.
2. They’ve Done a Lot of Transactions That are Similar to Yours
In most established companies, there’s no such thing as a jack-of-all-trades.
Sure, the creatives might have a general understanding of what people do in Accounting. But understanding the gist of accounting isn’t the same as actually knowing how to put together financial statements on behalf of a corporation.
There’s a similar dynamic at play when it comes to real estate as well.
Commercial real estate and residential real estate are different areas of real estate for starters. In addition, even within residential real estate, there are still nuances involved.
For instance, an agent who is highly experienced at helping clients find condos may not be as well-versed in the strengths and weaknesses of single-family residential homes.
That’s why it’s important not to base your hiring decision purely on the length of a real estate agent’s resume. You’ll also want to consider the types of transactions they’ve done before.
3. Licensed for a Good Amount of Time
No matter what task you’re trying to accomplish, there’s only one thing that can turn a total novice into a skilled professional:
Experience.
According to The Ascent, the median home sale price was $295,300 in June of 2020.
When you’ve got six figures on the line like that, it’s essential that the transaction is handled correctly and that no mistakes are made.
An experienced real estate agent will bring a deeper understanding of the housing market to the table. And when you’re going through a process that you’re not familiar with on a purchase as big as a house, that extra bit of knowledge can help you in big ways as you’re weighing the pros and cons of different houses.
4. Not a “Yes” Person
There are limits to what a real estate agent can say. You can’t ask them for legal advice or for help with getting a mortgage-ready credit score.
But at the same time, it’s important for you to be able to make an informed purchasing decision. As such, you’ll want to listen very closely to how your real estate agent assesses the properties you look at.
Do they point out the positives and the negatives of the houses on the market? Are they taking the time to mention how the properties do and don’t fit what you’re looking for?
At the end of the day, it’s better to search a little longer than to end up in the wrong house.
You want a real estate agent who’s willing to give it to you straight even if it means that you have to pass up a few homes on your way to finding the right one.
The Real Reason Why You Need to Find the Right Real Estate Agent
Real estate agents and house sales go together like peanut butter and jelly.
But just because real estate agents are considered a normal part of the home-buying process, that doesn’t mean that you can afford to hire just anyone.
A good agent can make a huge difference in your search for your dream home. And with the help of these tips, your path to finding the right real estate agent may have just gotten a little bit easier.
Wilton Bond, Finance Writer & Blogger
