Let’s say you’re in the market to either buy or sell a property. Your first job is to hire a realtor to help you navigate the process. Most educated and savvy people think they can act as their own realtor and maybe some can do that successfully. It’s my humble opinion that those who go down this road are doing so at a disservice and should hire a professional to handle all aspects of buying and selling instead. Why? Your property, whether it’s what you currently own or what you’re hoping to acquire, is your most valuable asset. I wouldn’t trust a mechanic to perform a heart transplant. In other words: you need an expert in any particular field and real estate is no different. So, before embarking on this journey, hire a realtor you trust and someone who’ll handle all the details so you can concentrate on what YOU do best. But how do you know you’re hiring someone truly first rate? By asking a series of questions and following these helpful tips!
Tip #1
Clock Watchers- You may know someone who’s a realtor or maybe have a friend of a friend. You may have noticed a realtor’s marketing and made a cold call based on that. However you make initial contact, one of the first questions you should ask anyone looking to work on your behalf is whether or not he is a full time or part time realtor. This is actually very important. There are many people out there who have taken the classes and passed the licensing exam who are then technically real estate agents but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a wide variety of other commitments (whether professional or otherwise) that take away their attention from you, their client. It’s important to ask any potential realtors if they work full time or part time. Some people find themselves out of work and choose to pursue real estate as a stop-gap to fill their time and earn some money in between their chosen careers. Some are retired hobbyists and don’t consider real estate their actual professional field but merely a way to keep their minds engaged and days busy. When hiring an agent, you want real estate to be his one and only focus and career. Not unlike an on-call doctor, you need your agent to be available to you at all (and often inconvenient) hours. You don’t want him to keep you waiting while he’s auditioning for a commercial or dropping you in favor of that business opportunity that finally came through.
So, the first question you need to ask a potential agent is whether or not this business takes up all or just a portion of his attention. If he says real estate is the perfect job because it allows him to work with enough time to pursue other interests, the smart choice would be to seek professional help elsewhere.
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