6 Questions to Ask Your Real Estate Agent Before Hiring Them

Choosing the right real estate agent for your home search is not just about saving money. It’s also about staying away from all the hassle and trouble that might come your way if you choose to do it on your own. You need to find a real estate agent that is easy to get along with, someone you are comfortable disagreeing with so that you both can better work together to find your dream home. So, how do you find a real estate agent that fits this criteria?

Here are the 6 most important questions to help you find the best real estate agent possible:

  1) Are you a full-time or part-time agent?

There are more than 2 million active real estate licenses in the U.S. but not all of them work full-time. When hiring a real estate agent, you need to pick someone who can work around the clock to find your dream home. Part-time agents are generally more distracted since they are doing real estate as a side job. Ideally, your real estate agent will have complete focus on providing the best service possible. 

2) In which neighborhoods do you operate?

It is always a good idea to hire a real estate agent who knows the real estate market of the location you are interested in. Before hiring a real estate agent, you should inquire about their local knowledge. Do they understand the market of the area you are looking at? Do they know about the number of homes that have sold in that area recently? A real estate agent with a good understanding of the area you are interested in will be better suited to find you your dream home.

3) How do you communicate with your clients?

A real estate agent must be flexible enough to choose a mode of communication that suits you. This could be through emails, texts, or phone calls. Different real estate agents have different communication styles. Make sure you understand what your real estate agent’s communication style is before hiring them. How often will they share updates with you? What will be their communication approach, in general? Getting the answers to these questions before you hire a real estate agent will put you both on the same page at the beginning of your relationship.

4) What are your qualifications?

You don’t want to hire a real estate agent who does not have the expertise to do the job. Therefore, don’t hesitate to ask about their experience and expertise. How long have they been working as a real estate agent? Have they had professional education to hone their skills? These questions will help you get a clear idea of the real estate agent’s professional background and if they are qualified to do the job.

6) How many other clients are you working with? 

An agent with a lot of clients is proof that they are good at their job. Find out how busy their schedule is. How many clients do they have? What strategies are they implementing for their clients and what strategies will they use for you? Knowing these things helps put into perspective what you should expect from working with the real estate agent.

7) Can you share any references?

Most important of all, ask them about references from clients in the past. This is significant because it will paint a clear picture of the expertise that the real estate agent holds in the field. A good real estate agent will never hesitate to share their references as they have nothing to hide. Besides asking them, you should also take a look at their online presence and the reviews people have to share about their service – social media is the best place to go. 

The More You Ask the Better

Choosing the right real estate can be a bit tricky if you don’t know what to look for. These questions will help you not only get to know the expertise of the real estate agent but also about their client handling skills as well. Also, don’t feel shy to ask anything that comes to your mind because that’s how you will get to know the agent. Once you have that knowledge, you will be able to easily identify the best agent to do the job for you. 

 If you are looking for an experienced real estate agent, who can answer all your questions, negotiate on your behalf and help to find your dream home, then getting in touch with a Negotiator Recognized Partner (NRP) is a great idea. An NRP is an experienced real estate agent, whom you can trust for providing unparalleled service. 

So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and get in touch with an NRP to make the search for your dream home easy as pie.