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Agent References
Questions To Ask Your Real
Estate Agent
Here is a partial list of
questions and concerns you should bring up with you real estate
agent before doing business. Find out whether your agent has an
efficient marketing plan to sell your home. Conversely, if you
are looking to purchase, ask how much experience your candidate
agent has with your target neighborhoods. Ask for references
from satisfied clients, 5 to 10 should do the trick.
Ask how fast your agent will
return your phone calls. Take a look at your agent's brochure,
office, and résumé. Ask if your agent provides additional
financial services. Find out how many clients your agent takes
on at a time.
Don't underestimate the importance of
organization in general real estate. Does your agent appear to
dress nicely and speak knowledgably about the industry? Is she
current on the MLS system? Does she use a computer organization
system?
If you are a seller, will
your general real estate agent upload your complete listing
information onto the MLS quickly? What are your agent's “hours
of operation”? Does she prefer to keep in contact via email,
office phone, or cell phone? How much experience does the agent
have in the business? How long has the agent been with his or
her particular office?
What general real estate
guarantees and protections can your agent offer you? How much
time does your agent have to devote to you? Some agents can
handle 10 clients at a time without blinking an eye. Others get
run ragged handling more than two or three people at a time.
Does your agent deal exclusively in residential general real
estate, or does he or she tackle business and commercial general
real estate as well?
If you've winnowed your search
down to two or three agents, you may cross check references and
ask for recommendations from disinterested third parties. You
should also ask the so-called “intangible questions” like ‘do
you and your spouse click with the agent'? Do you get the sense
that your agent is appreciated by his or her colleagues? Would
you like to have dinner with this person in a social context?
The answers here are important because they relate to how well
your general real estate agent will do in terms of negotiating
with sellers/buyers and their respective real estate agents. |
Copyright © 2008 Tomlinson Real
Estate