Choosing the Right Agent

HOW TO KNOW IF A GOOD AGENT IS A GOOD FIT

"I happily referred a couple of agents who came highly recommended and whom I thought would be a good fit for clients moving out-of-state who didn't want a previously bad home-buying experience repeat itself. In a follow up email they asked me how to know if he or she would be a good fit. Thus the following excerpt from an email:

"Some traits of a good buyer agent (some I'm sure will dictate a better fit than others):

• Honesty
• Respect
• Listening skills
• Organized
• More interested in helping you find the right home than racking up a sale
• Specific knowledge of the neighborhood (and sale history - e.g., median price over last year) of the area(s) you target
• Negotiating skills
• Experience
• Detail-oriented
• Follow-up
• Conscientious
• Takes your questions seriously and addresses concerns
• Accommodates to your schedule (and you to theirs)
• Not blinded by curb appeal - tells you the good, bad, ugly
• Runs comparables of homes under consideration
• Provides referrals to reliable attorneys, home inspectors, tradespeople, etc.
• Experience working with sellers

BUT:

• Make a list of pros and cons (another one!) of agents you speak to
• Would both of you feel comfortable working with that agent?
• Does the agent hold realtor designations? E.g., CBR, ABR and/or CRS designation - which means they've taken the time to be the best buyer's agent they can be
• Do they have the Realtor designation? Some good agents may not hold that designation (but it does mean they've taken ethics training).

ASK:

• Particulars of the transaction process in CA which are different from MA
• What does the buyer agency agreement entail
• How they usually work with buyers

"When I first meet, email or speak to a potential buyer, I want to get a sense of them to see if we'd be a good match:

• Why they are buying
• Their lifestyle - which goes a long way toward explaining what homes would be a good match and directs the rest of the search
• Have they been pre-approved? If not, I recommend reliable lenders before our first meeting.
• Amount and flexibility of down-payment
• Time frame
• If children are (or will be) in the picture (e.g., lead paint law, schools, etc.)
• Have they met with other agents
• How much do they want me to be involved in the transaction
• Knowledge of the local market
• Best way to communicate
• Plus the usual as to location, schedules, and anything they can think I should know to make it the purchase of their home a pleasant experience

"Personally, in the past, I shopped around for agents by talking with them at open houses (if they weren't too busy) mostly because I like to collect as much information as possible before I commit - but as we both know you can garner a lot from the web. I wouldn't recommend signing in at open houses until you secure an agent or everyone will be calling you - some aggressively. I suggest taking a listing sheet and/or business card instead to take quick notes on the agent.

"Name a time if you want to talk!"