When choosing the right real estate agent to represent your intersts there are a few things you should think about. After all, buying a home is likely the biggest purchase you're going to make and you want to be able to trust that the person handling that purchase is firmly in your corner.
Here's a quick check list of things to remember or to ask to see if a realtor is right for you.
First of all, ask them a few questions. "What's your experience like?" "Where do you live?" "Do you have children?"
Asking questions to see the sort of lifestyle your realtor enjoys is a great first step in getting to know them. Don't be shy with your questions either. A good realtor has nothing to hide and wants to build a lasting relationship with you and your family.
Find out what their selling skills are like. How many homes have they sold? Do they have any testimonials from clients, past and present, that could shed some light on those skills.
What sort of home sense does the realtor have? Do they specialise in condos, single family homes, both? Some agents have specialties and some don't. In most cases the relationship you build with your agent will supercede their home sense but if you're looking for an expert make sure you ask the right question.
Location, location, location. Not to sound like a cliche but location is everything. Does your agent have experience in the location you're looking in? If they do, they can fill you in on all the important stuff like the best schools and coffee shops.
Networking skills are an agents bread and butter so find out how many of the over a dozen Canadian Real Estate organizations they belong to. The information is a good indication of how many people they know and how many they can introduce you to.
NB: If you want to check out a specific agent you can do so at reic.ca (the Real Estate Institute of Canada)
Budget and other money matters. A great agent will take into account your current finacial situation and work with it rather than trying to push it to it's limits. You'll know with the first showing whether your agent is listening to you or not.
Finally, a great agent will have a great plan to get you to your goals. They'll work with you to come up with open houses or marketing that everyone is comfortable with.
Finding the right agent might take a bit of work but it's worth it to build a lasting relationship with someone you trust.
