Welcome to the 1st episode of my Buyer blog and video series: How to Choose your REALTOR® if you’re looking to BUY a home!
Hey everyone, welcome back! It’s Cori with Monmouth County Dream Homes, at RE/MAX Central located right here in Marlboro Township. If you want to stay up to date on all things Monmouth County and Real Estate then you’re definitely going to want to subscribe to my YouTube Channel. You’re also going to want to hit the little bell icon so that you’re the first to know when my new videos are posted every single Monday!
So you’re thinking of buying a home soon, and cost is probably a main concern. Well I have some great news for you. Working with a realtor on the buy side when purchasing a home will cost you……..drum roll please………….. Absolutely nothing!
The Seller, is responsible for paying The REALTOR® commissions.
So, if you were worrying about being able to afford a realtor, that is one less worry for you moving forward! So what else should you look for when choosing your realtor®
Here are 8 questions I think you should tackle with your prospective agent when trying to find the best realtor for you.
1. How long have you been in the business?
I”m not saying you should rule out new agents. However, you simply can’t replace experience. You want a realtor that is going to educate you and is going to walk you through the entire transaction. Many different scenarios arise during a real estate transaction and having a realtor with experience will ensure they can help you navigate through the entire process.
2. Why did you get into real estate?
You are going to be spending a LOT of time with your real estate agent. You really should try to get to know them on a more personal basis. Why do they like real estate? What is it that motivates them? Ask as many questions as you can. Not only why did you get into real estate, ask about their personal lives. It’s nice to know a bit about the person who is going to be helping you with one of if not the biggest transaction of your lives.
3. How many clients do you currently have?
Okay so this is a tricky one. People think the more clients a realtor has the more successful they are. While that maybe true, buuuuut how much personal service can they give you? Many of those top top agents have a staff of people who work with you. You may meet with the realtor once and never see or speak to them again during the whole entire process. Me, as an example, I like to keep my current client list to a number that assures I can give good quality service. I have no intention of passing off my clients to someone else. I guess you can say I’m a bit of a control freak but, I like to be with my clients from start to finish!
4. Will I be working with you directly?
Like I just mentioned, I, personally, like working with my clients directly. I want to be the one that handles their questions, comments and concerns. I want to be the one to hand hold when the process gets tough, and trust me real estate isn’t always easy. Be sure you ask your prospective agent if they will be the one communicating with you or do they have assistants or other agents working with them.
Throughout my real estate career I have built long lasting friendships with people who entered my life as total strangers and by the end of the process we become very good friends.
5. What area do you cover and how well do you know the market?
You really should ask how well does the REALTOR® know the market that you’re looking to buy in? Does he or she live in and service that area? Did they grow up there? Are they familiar with the market trends? Are they able to talk to you about schools, shopping transportation etc? I know we always have google as a “source” of information. But I truly believe it’s always in a clients best bet to work directly with an agent from the area.
6. What makes you different from other agents?
This is one of my favorite questions to get asked as a realtor. As a client, You really should research all agents you are considering. Go to their website, look at their bio. Look at their social media pages. Do they have a facebook business page? Do they have a youtube channel? What makes them stand out? Don’t be shy ask them as many questions as you can. This is a great time to also ask how they market a home for sale, or how they find you the perfect home to buy!
7. How will we communicate?
There is nothing wrong with asking your potential realtor how they are going to communicate with you. Do you prefer phone calls, texts or emails. How often will they reach out to you about seeing new homes, and far out do we need to schedule appointments? These are all questions that are great to ask up front.
8. Read reviews and get referrals
Just like when we purchase any big ticket item we always take a peek at their reviews. Come on, don’t tell me you don’t research the latest cell phones, or television? Hotels or restaurants? We all like to know and hear what other people are saying. But here’s just a bit of friendly advice. Take all real estate reviews with a grain of salt. Anyone out there can write a review and submit them. You are so much better off doing your own research. Speak to people in person who have used the realtor.
Do you feel comfortable now and ready to choose your realtor? Keep in mind, if you are purchasing a home, you will be spending many HOURS with your REALTOR®. When you find that perfect home, your agent is going to help you navigate one of the biggest transactions of your life! As much as you want your agent to be an expert, you will also want someone that you can relate to, talk with and spend countless hours with.
Once you pick the right REALTOR® you can begin the process of working together and searching for your dream home. I promise if you put your trust in the right person, it can be a fun and exciting process.
Thank you so much for joining me today. If you want to start exploring the homes for sale in the Monmouth Count area you can do so by checking out my website at www.monmouthcountydreamhomes.com.
Do you have any specific questions about Monmouth County or buying a home? If so just drop a comment below. I’ll be more than happy to answer your questions and or reach out to you if necessary.
Thanks again, and i’ll see you next Monday when i’ll be back to talk about something that has to do with real estate and or Monmouth County.
Please feel free to follow along on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/monmouthcountydreamhomes/