Whether you are buying or selling a home, you need to pick the right realtor. There are some obvious things to consider when you pick a realtor. They should be an expert in your market and know the ins and outs of all neighbourhoods that you are looking at. They need to have a plan whether you are a buyer or a seller. As a full-time realtor, Monique Johnson understands the ins and outs of the real estate market. She gave us her tips on how to pick the right realtor as we continue our real estate series:
Ask Them for References
If your realtor is doing good work in the community, people know about it.
Select a Full-Time Realtor
There are 50,000 real estate agents in Ontario alone. Less than half of those realtors are doing the majority of the transactions. A lot of part-time realtors hold their license and may only work, for the most part, with friends and family. Full-time realtors live and breathe real estate. If you are dealing with a part-time agent, they often have another full-time job and they may not always be able to be responsive to you. There are many hobby realtors out there and you want to hire someone who is going to be 100% committed to you.
Your Realtor Should Be Connected
You should work with someone that has access to the people that you need to run your home in the future. You can easily get ripped off when it comes to big ticket items like construction or furnace replacements if you are inexperienced or do not know the right questions to ask. A good realtor will either know or have connections to people who know what the standard pricing is. They will be able to get quotes from small businesses that they have relationships with.
A realtor can act as your consultant because you can run into problems with a home at any time and they will be there for you, even when the transaction is over. Their network can help build your network and this is invaluable to a home-owner.
Your Realtor Should Be Good Communicator
Communication style is important. Work with someone who is interested in what you are telling them. A good realtor uses their listening skills to take what you have told them, process it and turn it into the result that you are looking for. Some inexperienced realtors do not listen and try to impose their wishes onto the client. That’s not the way that the relationship works. It is about finding out what your client desires and finding that balance between accepting the truth about the market and what they can really afford and having some of what they want in the property. You want to have that connection where you can text your realtor and they will be responsive. You should feel like you are a priority.
