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What should a person look for while conducting research to find the best real estate agents? Good question. This article will answer the question by experienced full-time agents. So expect our first answer to direct you to find experienced full-time agents. The rest of this article is less predictable.
Knowledge, experience, commitment, patience, integrity, and availability are all good assets in the real estate industry. An effective real estate agent has experience to recommend the right professionals (home inspectors, title companies, soil and septic experts, home improvement contractors, lenders, appraisers, real estate attorneys, water treatment companies, termite inspectors, etc.).
Listing agents should be experienced buyers agents, and buyers agents should have experience working as listing agents. Understanding how changing housing market conditions affect contract negotiations can be the difference in ratifying a contract or continuing the home search process for clients attempting to buy a home. As a listing agent, understanding market conditions, sales trends, and changing contract concessions in each market will help clients get the most for their homes (especially if multiple offers occur).
An effective real estate agent works full-time (including weekends) and is often a top producer among industry peers. Real estate agents who are engaged in dialog with clients should actively listen to their needs and develop a strategy which serves the best interests of the client. There should be open and honest dialog from the agent to the client(s) about market conditions and trends, and agents should know about upcoming events (i.e. new residential and commercial development, changing school attendance zones, special tax assessments and changing tax rates) in the neighborhoods they serve. Real estate agents should also have a resource directory available for clients to research issues of public safety, education, community services, and transportation alternatives. The subject of transportation alternatives has become the first concern of professionals relocating to Northern Virginia.
Your agent should have experience listing foreclosures, short sales, and new homes using builder contracts. Once again, the best real estate agents to represent buyers of these transaction types are those who have experience representing the other side of the contract. The short list should also include qualified relocation agents serving programs used by military, government, and corporate relocation clients. Real estate companies contract with relocation companies to represent participating relocation clients. There are performance standards in these contracts which encourage real estate companies to provide their best real estate agents. This should be a key for selecting a good real estate agent. The last qualifier for the short list is knowing current lending practices and rates. Real estate agents should be able to answer financing questions for different loan types and programs including qualifying credit scores, income to debt ratios, required down payments, etc. of standard loans.
Successful real estate agents must have an effective internet marketing campaign to sell homes. This can be evaluated by examining the methods agents use to market themselves to attract business. Without a strong internet presence it is doubtful individual real estate agents have the knowledge or ability to effectively sell homes and stay in the real estate industry. If you find a real estate agent with a good internet presence, chances are you’ve found a home sales professional serious about optimizing real estate technology to better serve clients.
Serious agents have a good internet presence. This should include a website with recommendations by past clients. Real estate agents dedicated to client service will also be able give more recommendations upon request. The last method of finding the right real estate agent is to begin reading area real estate blogs. Researching real estate blogs are the best forum to evaluate agents. Real estate blogs should give readers an informed opinion for the level of trade and market knowledge possessed by the author, and decide if the agent will be a good fit to represent their real estate needs.
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