Questions To Ask A REALTOR®

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When you want REALTORS® to assist you in finding the perfect place, it is essential that you ask them the right questions.

Avoid going for unprofessional REALTORS® if you are serious about your search. You could easily end up spending a lot of money and wasting your time looking at inappropriate houses. If you want to check which REALTORS® are suitable for you, you should ask these questions.

Are you a licensed REALTOR®?
You will need serious, professional REALTORS® if you want to find the home of your dreams. You will get the very best results only if you hire a licensed realty agent who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its code of ethics. Make sure you deal with full-time REALTORS® only, as part-timers may not have the time you need to look at potential houses. Avoid agents who represent the buyer and the seller simultaneously, as these REALTORS® will probably not offer you the best conditions possible. Your REALTORS® should introduce you to lawyers, appraisers and home inspectors and make sure you get the best deal.

How do you get your customers?
It's a known fact that all REALTORS® advertise, while only the best ones get the majority of their customers by word of mouth. You should also check the customer references of your REALTORS®.

Are you specialized in a certain area?
Choose REALTORS ® who only deal with the specific area in which you intend to buy. He will know a lot about the community, listing and sold prices, schools, traffic and other aspects, and will also give an idea about how long it will take you to get the house you want. If the REALTOR® knows his areas well, he will have all the tools to obtain a good price while keeping with more recent sales.

What means of communication do you use with your clients?
From the very beginning the REALTOR® should spend some time with their clients to make them feel good about what is going to come. A great idea is to take a drive and get to know the neighborhood a bit.

You want to deal only with REALTORS® with whom you get along. If you want to receive daily updates in your e-mail or phone calls, then that's what the REALTOR® should do. No matter what you prefer, the REALTORS® you work with should ensure they know exactly what your expectations are from the very start.

Ask the REALTOR® how long it takes them to return their clients' calls or e-mails. If it's longer than a few hours, it may translate into your losing your dream house.

If the REALTOR® takes you to tour an unsuitable home, they should make sure they prevent such a thing from happening again.

REALTORS® are also paid for communicating with you regularly. Even if there are few properties which suit you on the market, good REALTORS® respect their duty of contacting you once a week to let you know about the way things are going.

Do you work alone or in a team?
Many REALTORS® have teams of collaborators who help them handle the business. This may be a useful to you, but if the REALTOR® plans to leave your interests in the hands of other members of their team, they should let you know about this in advance. If your REALTOR® takes a leave, they should introduce you the replacement and make sure they know what you want.

What commission do you charge?
The typical commission REALTORS® receive is between four and six percent of the sold price, but it largely depends on the value and type of the property in question. In many cases, the commission is included in the home selling price, so you don't have to pay the REALTORS® directly. However, it's always good to ask the REALTOR® about administrative fees or any other costs you may have to meet.

How do you search for properties?
All professional REALTORS® have a subscription to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in order to gain direct access to listings in their neighborhood and all over the country. REALTORS® may also choose to take on a virtual tour online, checking properties on their official websites.

Do you have references?
If you want to benefit from the services of the best REALTORS® on the market, you should ask for references from satisfied customers who have found exactly what they wanted. This way you will learn about the strong points of the respective REALTORS® - and, of course, about the weak ones.