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How to find a good real estate agent?

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KillerCharlie

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I'm in the process of buying a house. I've picked out a good mortgage broker after shopping around and now I'm looking for a good real estate agent.

How do you pick one? I got some recommendations from friends as well as the mortgage broker (who I trust). I don't really see any reviews websites for agents.
 
Start with those recommendations you got frmo your friends and mortgage broker...

Schedule a brief meeting with each of the agents that was recommended. Each agent will probably have a portfolio that describes their experiences, any awards won, etc.

There are also some professional credentials/titles you might want to look for. A few of them that I'm familiar with, because my agent had them, are -
Realtor (not the same as your typical Real Estate Agent title)
GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute)
CRI (Council of Residential Specialists)
there may be others that I'm not aware of...
 
I think it's mostly hit or miss. Even friends/neighbors were fine with theirs--until they weren't. I don't know of any registry that ranks them, unfortunately. Anyway, I believe one is FAR more important when selling than buying.
 
I would interview a few different agents based on recommendations from knowledgeable sources. My wife is a Realtor and a good one with many many years experience and a few different certifications. She is currently studying for her Broker's license as well. She is one of the good ones and is actually thriving in this market we're in right now. Of course, that could all change but for now she is doing well. This year is already starting out much better than last year for us as she has 3 homes in escrow right now and just got another listing today. She works constantly though. It takes hard work and dedication to be successful in this market.

I'm sure there will be no shortage of people posting in this thread who will tell you that you don't need a Realtor though. If you can find one who will take the time to actually work for you they are worth every penny.
 
Yes definitely meet with them, but make sure you don't sign a contract with one of them right away. I forget the specifics, but if I'm remembering correctly, you will end up signing a contract with whomever you choose that basically says "For the next X number of Days or Months, I will be using John Doe as my Real Estate Agent". I'm not sure of the potential issues that might arise if you sign a contract with more than one person...
 
Remember also they are motivated to sell volume, not squeeze out the last few bucks from the seller possible. I.e. they will be more likely to encourage a high offer than not so that they can get their 3% and be done with it, which is not in your best interest since the other 94% (realtors split commission) is directly out of your pocket. I would also not rely on their recommendation for a home inspector; find somebody other than one they've used before just in case they have a comfy "let's just get this done" relationship.
 
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