Tips For Finding A Good Real Estate Agent For Home Buying
Posted on: 8 July 2021
Starting the home-buying process on your own can be very confusing, which is why you need to find a real estate agent that can help guide you through it. However, how do you even know how to find a good agent if you've never done it before? These tips will help you do it.
Get Prequalified
The first thing you should do to find a good agent is to get prequalified for a mortgage. You may think that these two are unrelated, but they actually are related. Good real estate agents are very busy and make choices about what clients they take on. Being first-time homebuyers without a mortgage pre-approval may be a red flag for some agents while having the pre-approval shows that you are serious about buying a home. This can help you find an agent that would normally be more selective about who they work with.
Ask For Recommendations
It is worth asking people who live in the area for recommendations for who they worked within the past. It can be a great way to get some names and start narrowing down the selection process because a personal recommendation is always going to mean more than reviews you read online.
Visit Open Houses
Want to meet and talk to realtors in the area in a casual way? Consider visiting open houses in the area where you're looking into buying. This gives you the opportunity to talk to the agent, learn about their history as a buyer and seller's agent, and what they know about the area. Best of all, you can do this in a casual way with no pressure. If you like the real estate agent, get their contact information to reach out to them about your own home search later on.
Don't Use A Dual Agent
Some people think that they can just browse homes and use the seller's agent when they find a home they like. This is not good, the seller's agent is not going to be on your side. They primarily work for the seller, who pays them a commission on the sale of the home. The seller's agent has a huge interest in getting you into the home no matter what, rather than looking out for your interests. A buyer's agent, on the other hand, is solely dedicated to you.
Go On A Few Home Showings
Know that you can always use an agent to tour a home to see what it is like. You don't have to sign a contract with an agent right away since you can get a feel for what working with them will be like before doing so.
Keep these tips in mind as you look for a real estate agent.
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