The truth is that purchasing a home is the single most expensive investment in our lives. In order to ensure the process of buying a new home is smooth it is important that you find a realtor to work with. In order to find a realtor that will maximize your experience there are some things to look for when searching for someone to sell your home or assist you in purchasing a new home.
One of the first things to take into account is that you need a professional. A realtor is someone that is a real estate professional that is a member of the National Association of Realtors, which subscribes to a strict code of ethics. Not all agents or brokers are realtors so it is important to find a true realtor to assist you in buying or selling your home.
Experience counts when you are looking for a realtor. Ask questions about how long that they have been a licensed realtor. It is also important that they have been a realtor in the area that you are selling or buying a new home. Your realtor needs to be familiar with the area and what buyers and sellers are looking for when it comes to homes in order to best serve your needs.
After you have narrowed down the field of potential realtors it is time to look into their referrals to make your final selection. Ask their referrals about the services the realtor provided. What was their experience buying or selling a home with the realtor? A great question to ask is if they were going to buy or sell their home again if they would choose to use that realtor again.
You need to use the right type of realtor for your needs. Are you going to use a conventional realtor or a buyer’s broker? A conventional realtor works mainly for the seller. The commission they make is off of the purchase price of the home. Conventional realtors work to sell a home fast for the most money possible. If you are selling your home this will work well for you however if you are buying a home you may want to look into a buyer’s broker.
A buyer’s broker will represent you as a buyer. Buyer’s agents are not working for the seller and therefore are focused on finding a home that is perfect for you. There is one other type, a dual agent. This type of agent is able to take clients that are selling homes and buying homes; they represent buyers and sellers. This may or may not be the ideal situation for you but is one that is available.
The best piece of advice to find someone you can talk comfortably with. You will want to be honest at all times and have someone that is available and will listen to you. It is important that you choose someone that is a great communicator and that works with you to ease any and all questions and concerns you may have.
Lake and Land Real Estate is Livingston County’s premiere realtor out of Pinckney, Michigan serving homes that provide a recreational lifestyle including golf courses, lakes and the Huron river chain of lakes, throughout Hamburg, Pinckney and Howell. More information can be found at http://www.lakelandmi.com/.