choosing the right Realtor

[badger]

I'm thinking of selling/buying, so I asked the members of my book club if they can refer anyone and now I have 4 realtors to choose from. How do I pick one from the 4? Do I literally interview them??

My first realtor I acquired by walking into a realty office, so I've never really had the need for one since (I don't want to use him again).

[ehirsch83]

Do they specialize in your area?

If so- do they normally deal with houses similar to yours(price range, same target buyer?)

Do they have good advertising included for you?

How many properties do they have listed and what is their past track record- You want someone who has a proven track record of sales within a fraction of your asking price and make sure that they are on the same page as you(do you both think your house is valued the same? and is this a fair value for it to sell on the market and not sit there)

If so- then how do you feel about them?

My mom is a realtor and I know these are things she thinks of on her end- if someone comes to her to buy or sell and it is in an area that she doesn't specialize in, or isn't very familiar- she will refer them to someone else- to make sure that they receive the best representation for them.

[Irulan]

Here's what's important to me.
1. How well do they listen when it comes to helping you find a house? After narrowing it down a bit and getting to know you, they should be able to focus in on what YOU are looking for.
2. Availability - do they return phone calls promptly?
3. Service - Can they answer all your questions, provide you with qualified referrals, etc.
4. Willingness to work for you - they aren't doing you a favor by helping you buy/sell; they are working for you. Do you feel that way? You should.

[grey]

Here's what's important to me.
1. How well do they listen when it comes to helping you find a house? After narrowing it down a bit and getting to know you, they should be able to focus in on what YOU are looking for.
2. Availability - do they return phone calls promptly?
3. Service - Can they answer all your questions, provide you with qualified referrals, etc.
4. Willingness to work for you - they aren't doing you a favor by helping you buy/sell; they are working for you. Do you feel that way? You should.

This.
I've worked with a lot of Realtors over the years. The best ones show up with a stack of information on the house in hand. Tax records, the full MLS printout, last surveyor's report (or at least, what the county says the lot size is & where the lines are). They are knowledgeable about the area, and above all, calm and cool. They maintain a professional tone of voice, an ability to think on their feet when an awkward question is posed, and answer it in a way that neither the buyer nor seller lose ground, is a real talent. I've only met three Realtors like that, so they are rare.

[Irulan]

This.
I've worked with a lot of Realtors over the years. The best ones show up with a stack of information on the house in hand. Tax records, the full MLS printout, last surveyor's report (or at least, what the county says the lot size is & where the lines are). They are knowledgeable about the area, and above all, calm and cool. They maintain a professional tone of voice, an ability to think on their feet when an awkward question is posed, and answer it in a way that neither the buyer nor seller lose ground, is a real talent. I've only met three Realtors like that, so they are rare.

This market will shake out the mediocre ones pretty quick.

I am amazed by how much we do electronically with our realtor. She's set parameters on what we are looking for, and any new/changed listing that comes up for us, we get an email with the MLS info automatically. www.realtor.com is a really useful tool and you don't have to be a realtor to use it. It's much more reliable than Zillow, which tends to have really outdated info on it.

[badger]

well, I've gotten one realtor coming to my place on Thursday, and another on Friday. One's on vacation, and I haven't contacted the other yet.

they all seem equally qualified in that they specialize in my area as well as places around my price range.

I'm just going to meet with all of them, have them give me their opinion on how best to proceed, and I think I'll just go with whoever I feel has the best plan. They all come highly recommended from a professional point of view (ones they all used before), so I'm pretty confident they will be putting in the right kind of effort.

It's all rather exciting and scary at the same time. I love my place, but I think it's time for an upgrade. Or maybe not. Maybe during this process I'll realize it's just better for me to spend some money fixing my place and staying put, but I won't know til I look!

[Irulan]

well, I've gotten one realtor coming to my place on Thursday, and another on Friday. One's on vacation, and I haven't contacted the other yet.

they all seem equally qualified in that they specialize in my area as well as places around my price range.

I'm just going to meet with all of them, have them give me their opinion on how best to proceed, and I think I'll just go with whoever I feel has the best plan. They all come highly recommended from a professional point of view (ones they all used before), so I'm pretty confident they will be putting in the right kind of effort.

It's all rather exciting and scary at the same time. I love my place, but I think it's time for an upgrade. Or maybe not. Maybe during this process I'll realize it's just better for me to spend some money fixing my place and staying put, but I won't know til I look!

We've been house shopping also. We were locked in at 3.5% on a house we ended up not getting. It's a great time to buy, buyers market, if you can qualify.

[badger]

We've been house shopping also. We were locked in at 3.5% on a house we ended up not getting. It's a great time to buy, buyers market, if you can qualify.

I wish... it's a seller's market right now, which I suppose is all right for me as I have to sell as well, but it's a really hot market right now.

[Irulan]

I wish... it's a seller's market right now, which I suppose is all right for me as I have to sell as well, but it's a really hot market right now.

Seller's market in Canada? Interesting. Down here, prices are dropping all the time and it's definitely a buyer's market. There's lots to choose from.