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How To Get The Best Deal On A House - Choosing A Real Estate Agent

By Kate Ford

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 17Dec2008 Word count: 734 Viewed: 272 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Here is the biggest mistake home buyers make when deciding it is time to buy a house.

The most common error is not spending enough time choosing a real estate agent. Why is interviewing prospective agents so important?

If you are looking for the best buy on a house you need the best Realtor to lead the way. Everybody wants a deal when buying a house. And why not? For most people it is the biggest purchase of their life.

But buyer beware! There is another bargain you need to find before you shop for a house. Look for a great Realtor! It may be the most important deal you make.

But the trick is deciding your criteria for choosing a real estate agent.

Begin with interviewing at least three agents or brokers. Just as you are not going to buy the first house you see, you need to shop for an agent. Just as you will probably look at many houses before you decide which is right for you, don't settle for the first Realtor you meet without interviewing at least two more.

Choosing a real estate agent, the one right for you, to guide you through the entire house buying process is essential to your success.

Here is another tip. A big mistake many home buyers make is skipping from agent to agent to find their dream home. Don't! Instead make it your intention to find an agent you are going to stick with.

Believe me, don't let greed trick you into thinking that you are limiting your opportunities by working with just one specific broker. It is actually just the opposite. If you hunt for the best agent you can find before shopping for a house, you are far more likely to discover that dream home you are looking for.

So invite several real estate brokers to your home instead of going to their office. Watch how they relate to you and your family. If you detect they are uncomfortable or judgmental in your environment, they are probably not the broker for you.

Most important, do you feel comfortable with them?

Before they visit prepare a list of questions you will want to ask during the interview. Start by briefly explaining what you want to accomplish. In two or three sentences tell why you need the services of a real estate agent and what type of property you are looking for.

It is important that you merely state your intention at first and not launch off into detail. After all, you are the interviewer and the Realtor is the interviewee. Then ask them to explain how they would go about helping you accomplish this task.

Here are questions you can ask as the conversation progresses.

#1 What motivated you to become a real estate broker? As they speak with you, observe whether they are passionate about their profession.

You can continue questioning.

#2 Do you have any recent clients that I can talk to? In the next day or two, follow through and call them. You can often get a sense from their previous clients how satisfied a customer was.

#3 Do you specialize in certain types of property? Personally I like working with agents who focus on certain areas, neighborhoods, or types of property. For example, if I am looking for a condo, choosing a real estate agent that specializes in condos makes the most sense.

#4 Finally, ask them to describe their game plan. Because you have a certain goal in mind, you want to know how they will go about bringing you the solution you are looking for. The best brokers with a strategy can easily articulate their plans. See if their strategy matches up with your goals.

After interviewing several Realtors, it is time to make a decision. Try using a process of elimination by asking yourself some of the following questions.

What agents do you feel uncomfortable with? Which ones answered your questions directly and which didn't? Are they passionate about their profession? Which ones can you ask any question and they don't make you feel stupid? Do they specialize in the type of real estate you want to buy and in an area you prefer? Can they articulate a specific strategy and if so what is it?

Now it's time to choose a real estate agent and go find that home you are dreaming about.

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