People seek advice when they invest their money, they seek advice when buying a car or they seek advice when buying a laptop or a TV. So, when you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions to purchase a property, wouldn’t you want to seek advice from trained professionals in this field? Some people would argue that they can do it themselves and believe that they can do it without the help of any real estate industry professionals. If that’s the case, then I respect that and wish them well on this journey. On the other hand, for the rest of the property hunters who don’t want take on this complicated process, they can enlist the help of a Realtor.
To start off, buyers don’t pay for the service of a Realtor on their buying team. It’s the sellers that pay the commission of the buyer’s representative. If the service is free and the Realtor has the industry knowledge and the skill set to assist you, then why wouldn’t you have a Realtor working with you? It’s clear that having a Realtor assisting you with your search for a property will be beneficial. However, with thousands of Realtors out there, how do you know which Realtor is ideal for your needs? When you ask any Realtor, the majority will tell you their version of the story (here is our version) about how they are the best Realtor to suit your needs. So instead of having Realtors selling their services to you, we have compiled a checklist to help you find your ideal Realtor.
Step #1: Do a self-assessment of your own skill set before you meet with any potential Realtor. List the skills that you are good at and the weakness that you need your Realtor to have in order for you to overcome those weaknesses. Here is a list of recommended skills that a potential Realtor should have.
Step #2: Compose a list of characteristics that you want your Realtor to have. Do you want to work with a Realtor that’s competent, ethical, trustworthy, transparent, tech-savvy, has a strong financial background, possesses excellent communication and leadership skills, and is easy going and approachable?
Step #3: Interview your Realtors (at least three at a minimum) to ensure that he/she possesses the skill set to help you. Having the skill set is one thing, but the Realtor should also possess the desired characteristics in order for you to have a stress-free and successful working relationship
Step #4: Choose the Realtor that fit your needs
Step #5: Reassess your Realtor. Remember, the interview is only part of the process. You won’t know if that Realtor is suitable until you have actually worked with the Realtor. You should be able to terminate the working relationship without any strings attached if you’re not receiving the service that you were promised.
If you would like to set up an interview, contact us. One down, you just need another two more or so. Maybe not.
About Leo
Another very useful guide. It’s quite educational and transparent. I am wondering, if you recommend that potential clients meet with other realtors, wouldn’t you just give away some of your business?
Hi T.K.,
The possibility of the potential client working with another realtor is definitely there. For me, I prefer to educate my clients and I want to make sure that my services fit their needs. It’s bad for business if you work with clients that do not have the same philosophy as you. Thanks for the great question.
I am currently in the market looking for a commercial property. I am glad that I stumble upon this guide. It’ll definitely help with my search to find my ideal realtor. BTW, who pays for the agents’ commission?
The commercial property market is not my specialty, I specialize in the residential market. In the residential market, it’s the seller that pays the selling agent and the buyer’s (your) agent the commission. Normally, buyers don’t pay any commission unless there is an agreement between the buyer and the buyer’s agent.
I also think that trust and honesty adds to the points to consider in looking for realtor 🙂
@Blair, having a trust worthy and honest realtor helping you can save you quite a bit of money. This is definitely an add to the list of characteristics to look for when you are searching for your ideal realtor.
yet another helpful tip in helping first timers choose the realtors to work with. I definitely need someone honest and forthcoming. Being able to communicate well with me and not to be pushy is an important factor too.
@Everest, you can tell if a Realtor is pushy or not when it comes to signing the representation agreement. A pushy Realtor would find excuses to push you to sign that agreement with you as soon as possible. However, a great realtor will take the time to explain all the rights that you have and you can take your time to evaluate his/her service before you sign the agreement.
I love the idea that you try to bring up. But I think most of people nowadays not really care about seeking advice from others. Then only when they have prob or whatsoever then they ask people. haha
@Zayani, the key to being successful is to increase your knowledge and ask people for help before you encounter an issue. If you have issues and then look for help, it may be a bit late. So protect yourself by asking questions and doing research. It can save you a lot of money in the future.
This would a great post once I want to buy house or other related field. I think step 4 is important!
@Aqualili, Finding a Realtor with the skill set to fit your need is the key to maximizing the benefit of team work between you and your Realtor.
I have had experiences with realtors in my hometown Ipoh before. I’ve met good ones and bad ones as well. We just need to do enough homework, I say.
@Emily, that’s the prudent way to buy and sell your house. The important thing to do is your homework before you hire a realtor. The more questions you ask, the better it is for you to assess if that Realtor fits your need or not.
Great List post. Sometimes we make a lot of mistakes when we want to buy a new property. Thanks for this post because it will help me to decide and choose wisely. I believe a good Realtor will be smart enough to help, just pray l meet the best agent when l am ready
@kle, You don’t have to pray to find a good Realtor, just meet with a few to see if your philosophy and the Realtor’s philosophy is compatible or not. Try to work with them for a while first before you sign the representation agreement. You don’t have to work with them if you are not satisfied with their service.
this sure will be bookmarked and shared with my friends and family members especially to those who needs to get a new home or sell theirs
@Miera, Thanks for book marking and sharing my post. Greatly appreciated. Hopefully this post will help people that you know save lots of money.
Such a useful tips. Thanks
@Emilinda, glad that you find it helpful. Thanks for dropping by.
Thanks for the step by step tips. I think everyone need to know this.
Cheers to the share on this- I am sure that many people would appreciate this post as well. Will certainly bookmark this for future references 🙂
it’s always interesting to learn something new from your posts (that’s totally out of my niche) 😀
Will try to understand this topic more!
great post! definitely useful as buying property is something and we should learn more about it!
Thanks for the information and tips, usuallyi just browse thru the internet or newspaper to get my realtor
My husband and I have been thinking about purchasing our first home, but we would need some help. We’ve talked about reaching out to a realtor. I”m glad that you mentioned making a list of skills that we have as well as weaknesses. We do not have great negotiation skills, so having a realtor who does would be very helpful.
@PreciousLeyva, negotiation skill is quite important when it comes to purchasing a property. A Realtor with great negotiation skill can potentially help you save thousands of dollars. Good luck on your search and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.
That sounds valuable to list the traits you want your realtor to have. I’m a bit of negotiator myself, so I want a realtor that can negotiate really well. I want to move into a seller’s market, so having the ability to contend with the other buyers is going to be really valuable.
@LNweaver, I definitely think that the negotiation skill is the differentiating factor. To get your clients top dollars when they sell and pay less when they buy. A great Realtor will be earning his/her keeps in this area.
I didn’t know sellers were the ones that paid for a realtor. I guess the agent’s service does help sell the home. Realtors have access to listings that consumers don’t, so it can be valuable to use one.
Thanks for the Info, My wife and i looking for these tips via internet to get the information about Realtor!
@Tayyab, I am glad that this post is helpful to you. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.