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Choosing
Your Real Estate Agent
With
so many real estate agents, how can you make an intelligent decision?
Do you choose a friend, neighbor or coworker? Should you work with an
agent at a large firm, a small firm, a franchise or an independent? While
there's an exception to every rule, and every marketplace has its own
nuances.
Here are some solid rules to apply when you want the best representation
to protect your interests.
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Experience The real estate profession is plagued by high
turnover. This creates a workforce that is made up of many newcomers.
While there are brand new agents with good intentions, why trust one
of the largest investment you'll ever buy or sell to someone without
experience? Always look for an agent with at least two years of experience.
Anyone still in the business after two years has probably learned at
least the fundamentals of real estate. (Richard Hild has been a Realtor
since 1975)
- Commitment
A real estate agent with a lack of full-time commitment makes it impossible
for them to keep up with the vast changes in law, marketing and business
practices that are occurring in the profession today. There is a a large
number of part time and recreational salespeople. These people have
either retired from some other career, work in real estate seasonally
or are earning a second income for the family and don't need to work
full time. No matter how long they have been in real estate, if an agent
isn't working at least thirty hours a week, fifty weeks a year, look
for someone else.
- Education
You cannot rely on licensing to indicate competence. And, unfortunately,
many agent's real estate education ends with their pre-license education.
GRI While there are numerous advanced real estate education courses
available, the only technical and competence based program available
nationwide is the Graduate, REALTORS® Institute (GRI) series, administered
under the direction of the National Association of REALTORS®. A REALTOR®
who completes the fifteen eight-hour modules, and passes examinations,
may then use the designation of GRI. While only 15%-20% of agents have
earned this accreditation, it should not be too difficult finding a
GRI in your marketplace as they will commonly print the designation
behind their name in advertising as well as on letterhead and business
cards.
Broker Any agent who has completed the requirements, both in
experience and education, to acquire their Real Estate Broker's license
has top-level knowledge, expertise, and competence in real estate. In
Washington State, a broker must have 90 clock hours of state-approved
education and pass an extremely difficult and comprehensive test.
The Real Estate Broker's License is renewed every two years after successful
completion of from 30 to 90 clock hours of approved continuing education.
(Richard Hild has been a Real Estate Broker since 1975)
- Interview
Before you hire an agent to help you buy or sell a home, you should
interview at least three agents in person. In order to do this, first
get recommendations from friends, family and neighbors. Then look on
the internet and the local newspaper to see what kind of marketing the
various companies are doing in your area and call a few that impress
you. Then make brief fact-finding calls to determine which of the agents
on your list are full time, experienced and either hold the GRI designation
or are at least working aggressively toward it.
You will probably need to call ten to fifteen agents in order to find
three that are worth interviewing. The interview itself need not be
a formal one. It is simply an opportunity for you to meet the candidate
and explain your needs; and to determine whether you would be comfortable
working with them. Ask whatever questions you like, or simply explain
your goals and listen carefully to what they propose to do for you in
meeting your needs.
Call
me to set up a convenient time to interview me as your Real Estate Guy
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Have
a question about real estate?
Let me
help you. All my years of experience as a Realtor have given me a wealth
of knowledge about selling and buying real estate. If I don't already
have the answer to your question, I know just where to go to get it. Simply
use this handy
form.
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