Chances are you have a friend who is a real estate agent or at least a friend of a friend. This comes in handy when you need an agent. The first tip of finding a good one is usually through a recommendation. However, there are valuable questions to consider regardless of how you found the professional you are interviewing to be your agent.
Of course you expect your agent to have your best interests in mind as well as professional integrity. Bear in mind that you may be spending a lot of time with this person (lots of car drives and viewing appointments) so he/she should be as likeable to you, as much as you are able to trust his/her opinion. It's also helpful to have some insight on the other qualities and skills that the kind of agent who will be working hard for you, should be able to demonstrate:
What your Real Estate Agent should know
1. Is your agent familiar with your neighbourhoods of interest? They should have expert knowledge on the range of home values within the neighborhood that you're looking in as well as be able to suggest other areas with similar homes and lifestyle amenities.
2. Does your agent understand what you have have in mind? Everyone has their own personal taste and style preferences so your agent should have a clear idea of what your dream home looks like as well as your needs. He or she should also take into consideration what your budget is so that you don't end up buying something you can't really afford and end up house poor.
3. Can your agent put together a dream team - that is, recommend a mortgage broker and real estate lawyer or other professional services that you may come across requiring?
4. Does the agent keep abreast of the latest mortgage loan products and can give you a tutorial on local property taxes or other fees?
5. How many homes did the agent find for buyers last year? Get a list of addresses and selling prices for homes that were bought recently.
Get a few references from past clients and ask what their experience was with this agent and if they would hire this person again before making your final decision.
I think it is important to ask a lot about references, the same goes for the activity in the recent time. It was proven to me as beneficial to ask also about recommendations of right realtor specialists in the field and location. There should be no problem to mention colleagues if one is professional and does career networking. Website, blogs and social media activity may be also good way how to make sure about the quality.
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