Choosing a real estate agent....

[amy g.]

Can we talk about what to look for in a good agent?

 

I'm interviewing agents to list my home with. So far, I like one guy the most because he isn't a moron and I feel like I can work with him.

 

I asked him to send over his standard contract for me to look over before I decide.

 

I'm really not loving the agent I'm using on California side. I have not signed a contract with her yet. She has great credentials and excellent reviews. She just seems slow to me.

 

I'm going to see if I can work with her boss instead. I like him a lot.

 

So what are the most important qualities to look for in an agent, both in personality and in the contract?

[Spryte]

:bigear:

 

Another question, to add to the above, for those of you in the know (I hope this isn't hijacking, OP, but rather adding another layer that will be helpful for you as well):  We are buying a house (closing on Tues!) and our agent is interested in listing our house.  Is it customary to use the same agent for both, or should we interview a few before we decide who will list our house on the market?

 

 

[LucyStoner]

:bigear:

 

Another question, to add to the above, for those of you in the know (I hope this isn't hijacking, OP, but rather adding another layer that will be helpful for you as well): We are buying a house (closing on Tues!) and our agent is interested in listing our house. Is it customary to use the same agent for both, or should we interview a few before we decide who will list our house on the market?

Check and see how many houses she has sold and how many in the last year. Some realtors are better at one side of the transaction than the other. Make sure she's a competent, experienced listing agent.

[mommymilkies]

I would now ask for a couple other things:

1.  How motivated are they, really?  Are they hungry?  Because I need a realtor who isn't slow and is motivated to do this right. I don't have time for people who aren't able to get back to me in a timely manner. We are about to switch buying realtors out of state for this reason. 

 

2. What is their rule and rate for dual buyer/seller.  That's something I'd avoid again unless there's no way around it.  It can put a hitch in getting the real estate advice you need without violating contracts.  

 

3. I'd look at their history of sales and listings. 

 

4. Ask to see their basic contract and offer forms straight up and walk you through them.

[prairiewindmomma]

Adding to the list above:

1. Marketing package

2. Responsiveness to communication--in a hot market, I want someone who texts and checks their phone often

3. Connections to stagers, painters, and handymen---my realtor kept a storage unit of stuff and helped me arrange furniture and made my house cute and high end feeling so I didn't have to pay a stager

4. Willingness to e-document sign or drop docs by so I don't have to come in to sign papers

 

Communication is the big one for me. I also wanted final say over MLS photos. I despise badly composed MLS pics.

[gardenmom5]

:bigear:

 

Another question, to add to the above, for those of you in the know (I hope this isn't hijacking, OP, but rather adding another layer that will be helpful for you as well):  We are buying a house (closing on Tues!) and our agent is interested in listing our house.  Is it customary to use the same agent for both, or should we interview a few before we decide who will list our house on the market?

 

you can keep her name - I would *absolutely* interview other agents.  some agents can sell a property, some are good at selling to a particular client - some can do both.  you don't know how she compares until you see what other agent's out there are like.

[mommymilkies]

Adding to the list above:

1. Marketing package

2. Responsiveness to communication--in a hot market, I want someone who texts and checks their phone often

3. Connections to stagers, painters, and handymen---my realtor kept a storage unit of stuff and helped me arrange furniture and made my house cute and high end feeling so I didn't have to pay a stager

4. Willingness to e-document sign or drop docs by so I don't have to come in to sign papers

 

Communication is the big one for me. I also wanted final say over MLS photos. I despise badly composed MLS pics.

Especially the last.  Yes.  

[Carol in Cal.]

Here in CA there are neighborhoods in which it's easy to figure out how much a house is worth--homes built in developments in the 70s and 80s in which there are only a handful of designs, so it's easy to find comparable houses to set prices.  But much of CA is full of homes that are in mixed neighborhoods with rapidly changing prices, and to me it is important to have a realtor representing me (on either side) that is very knowledgeable about the specific neighborhood I'm working in.  That might mean a different realtor for purchase than for sale, if there are two different neighborhoods involved.

 

Also, realtors have pricing 'styles'.  Some price high on the 'what the heck, why not try it?' theory, or to suck in potential listers with the idea that they can get more for their home.  Some price low on the 'this will speed up the sale, which is good for everyone' theory.  When I have listed a home for sale, I have gotten a price proposal from more than one agent, which turned up more comparables than either one alone, and it made it easier for me to use my own judgement about what price to list at.  I have enough respect for them as professionals to ask what their thinking is on how much to ask for the house, and enough confidence to want to think through whether or not I agree.  

When I am purchasing a home, I pick a neighborhood or two and go to open houses.  I build up a set of those single page fliers to study prices from.  I follow prices on realtor.com and trulia also.  I try to learn about the traffic patterns, noise, air quality, etc.  Bottom line is that I figure out where I want to be and more or less what properties are worth there, usually before I start working seriously with a realtor.  This process also gets me familiar with the realtors in the area, so I can find one who is really like-minded and who I know does a good job, and when I do start working with one, I make a commitment to them.  Then I stick to that one, even if I know that it hurts me in negotiations.  (Because sometimes it becomes clear that a selling realtor is giving preference to his own buyer because he will get both commissions.  I don't switch for that, no matter what.  I just don't think it is right, and someone like that will screw me over one way or another ANYWAY.)

 

The last time I bought a property was in 2013, I looked for it for 3 years, and by the time I bought, I knew more about local pricing than the local realtors did, and I got our place for 10% under market in a rising market.  These techniques work if you are patient.

[Pink and Green Mom]

:bigear:

 

Another question, to add to the above, for those of you in the know (I hope this isn't hijacking, OP, but rather adding another layer that will be helpful for you as well):  We are buying a house (closing on Tues!) and our agent is interested in listing our house.  Is it customary to use the same agent for both, or should we interview a few before we decide who will list our house on the market?

 

Twice we have used the same agent to list our house and buy the new one (because we moved semi locally).  Both times they gave us part of the commission back.  One agreed to list our house for only 2 percent commission, instead of the standard 3 percent.  The other charged the full 3 percent but then wrote us a check for the difference between a 2 percent commission and a 3 percent commission.

 

I would not be shy at all about asking for a deal if you list with the agent you used to purchase.  In the area we were in that was fairly typical (this was Northern VA, and once was with ReMax and once was with Century 21).  We are in FL now and were at one point contemplating a short move to another neighborhood.  Without asking, the realtor we used to buy this house told us she would give us the same deal as above if we used her to both list our current home and buy the new one.