Real estate is one of those industries where personality styles really matter. When dealing with the emotional nature of buying or selling a home, different personalities get along and others clash. But aside from that, you also need someone who is familiar with the area you are looking into and knows all the information necessary to help you make an informed choice about where you choose to live.
Since buying property really is a matter of prioritizing what you find important, a rational voice is a welcomed addition. And, in the end, your realtor is the person who should protect you, invest in and fight for you, if it becomes necessary. But how do you find all of those qualities wrapped into one? It isn’t always as easy as you would think. It takes a whole lot more than just googling “local realtor near me” to find someone for something so important.
Experience Does Matter
Being a realtor isn’t just about opening doors and scheduling appointments. It takes time to learn different areas and a whole lot of research to be able to provide all the details that a home buyer or seller needs to make an informed decision. On the other side, realtors also need to know real estate law, financing issues, and other facets of buying and selling a home that you probably don’t think about until you need to deal with them. Finding someone who is fresh out of school and ambitious is alright, but just make sure they have enough experience under their belt, or someone helping to guide them, so you aren’t their first case of trial and error.
Reliability is a Must
A realtor’s job is never done, for real. They need to be available around the clock or at least have someone standing in when they can’t be. Sales have been lost in seconds due to non-responsiveness. So finding someone who is committed to being there when you need them most is a must. Not just about sales, you want someone who will get back to you quickly when you have questions. In the real estate game, time is of the essence in a lot of cases, and it could mean the difference between a bidding war loss or avoiding one altogether.
They are Well Connected and Respected
Experience is different from being well-connected in a community. An expert realtor will fight to find a house before anyone else knows about it by using their connections and relationships. Real estate is a very close-knit community, and those who are most successful, operate with integrity and building relationships. Finding someone who has a good track record and works well with others might help you to get a little ahead of the home buying or selling competition.
They Aren’t Pushy but Don’t let you out on an Island Fumbling
No one wants the super pushy sales pitch, but you also don’t want someone who doesn’t have an opinion or isn’t willing to give you a nudge in the right direction. Sometimes being a real estate agent isn’t about being a yes-man, rather being a voice of reason. If something is a good buy, or in reverse, a bad investment, you will want someone who isn’t afraid to give you their honest opinion and show you all sides of the story, not just the one you want to, or don’t want to, hear.
They Come Highly Recommended
People tend to have very strong opinions about the person who sold them their home or helped them buy their new one. Either they really liked and appreciated them, or they didn’t. Someone who comes highly recommended by many has probably dealt with many different emotionally charged situations, plans being upheaved, and fire alarms that had to be extinguished. In the real estate industry, things rarely go as planned without a whole lot of surprises. If a realtor has successfully satisfied the masses, that says a lot about their professionalism and ability to handle stressful, and sometimes awkward, situations.
Find A Realtor Who is as Invested in you as you are in Finding Your Biggest Investment
Realtors are kind of like doctors, everyone is generally okay with them until something goes wrong. But by then, there are a whole lot of regrets. Finding the right realtor isn’t always about choosing the one that has the most listings, has generated the most sales, or has the most advertising. Make sure that the realtor you choose has as much invested in you as you do your next biggest investment. And take your time to ask around to find someone who will make your buying or selling experience the best it can possibly be.
At Sea Turtle Properties, we understand how important home buying and selling is. And also how stressful the entire process can be, which is why we seek to stand by your side and provide as much, or as little, hand-holding as needed to be successful in your home search or sale. It takes more than simply googling “local realtor near me,” to find someone who is right for you.
Contact Sea Turtle Properties today to discuss how we can help.