What’s the Best Way to Choose Your Real Estate Agent?

What’s the Best Way to Choose Your Real Estate Agent?

How do You Choose a Real Estate Agent that will Stand Out From the Crowd?

Choosing the best real estate agent to help you in the purchase or sale of your home can be a daunting task.  Most agents are spending thousands of dollars advertising to attract your attention.  In many cases, all that gets for you is someone that needs to churn out as many transactions as possible in order to cover the cost of all that advertising.

So what about online reviews on an agent’s website, Yelp, Google or other similar platforms?  That can be a good choice, but think about how useful, or not, those reviews might be.  Generally, a satisfied customer will be happy no matter what and so they will post a positive, glowing review about how great the agent was.

Curiously, I’ve read a bunch of these reviews and rarely find any that include a specific example of how that agent solved a difficult problem, made the seller money, or saved a buyer money.  Rarely do the reviewers talk about how the agent protected their interests, reduced or eliminated stress when dealing with high levels of complexity, or made them feel like education was a part of the process.

And, perhaps part of the reason is that many reviews are just fake.  It’s way too easy to go online, create a personality and write a positive review for yourself!  Even easier is just to have friends and relatives write reviews.  I recently came across an agent’s profile where the only review was written by her husband!  So, are these the kind of reviews you can trust?

On the other hand, what about negative reviews?  They may be more useful on several levels.  For example, I have an incredibly negative review on a website, not from my client but from the other party in the transaction!  I love this review because the reviewer says that I was not representing them and that I was looking out for my client and they couldn’t have their way because it was not what was agreed to in the contract.  Of course, those aren’t the words that the reviewer used, but any reasonable person would understand the unhappy reviewer was simply reflecting how well I defended and protected my client.

So if you are depending on online reviews, then I’d encourage you to read the negative reviews with more interest than the positive ones.

What about the sites that claim to have agents compete to get your business?  Think about this, a real estate transaction is highly complex, there are many laws that govern and a single mistake can cost you thousands of dollars.  As a seller, is getting an agent that will reduce their commission to sell your house in your best interest?  If they are willing to give away their own money that easily just to get your listing, what are the chances that they will truly work to protect your money when it comes to negotiating sale price, terms, repairs and so forth?

But is there a better way to find a really good real estate agent?

Yes, there is!  Notice the people you are in conversation with that are thinking about buying or selling or that have relatively recently completed a real estate purchase or sale.  Here’s another hint, when you are asking for recommendations, if the person just bought a house and you are thinking of selling, that may not be the best agent for you.  The buying process and the selling process have a very different focus, so the best buyer’s agent may or may not be the best seller’s agent and vice versa.

That said, if you want a better experience when it comes to hiring a real estate agent to represent you, call or text 661-375-7325 or email Sally@YourRealAdvantage.com to get my list of the top questions to ask when looking for the best agent to hire.  No cost, no obligation, it’s my free gift for you.

35 thoughts on “What’s the Best Way to Choose Your Real Estate Agent?

  1. Thanks for the tip to speak with those around me in to find referrals on agents and how doing that is likely going to be better than checking online reviews. I want to move to a new home that is closer to the city, so finding a real estate agent is something I need to start doing. By preparing my credit score, searching for an agent, and looking at various mortgages, I hope to be able to find a good deal for moving to a new home.

  2. I like that you talked about looking for glowing reviews online, from past clients. I have been looking for someone to help me find a new house. I can see how it would be nice to find an agent that has made past clients happy. That way, I won’t have to worry about the agent taking too long to find a home.

    1. Scott, another way to get a great agent is to get a recommendation from an agent that you trust to introduce you to someone that will do a great job. I make these kinds of introductions all the time throughout North America. Plus, I stay up-to-date on how the transaction is progressing to make sure you are really getting the help you deserve. Let me know if you want more info on this process.

  3. thank you for the post on what’s the best way to choose your real estate agent. I like the idea to ask family and friends who have recently bought or sold a home who they used to help them. That way you can immediately get a good review from someone you trust about the potential realtor.

  4. I’ve been looking for a good real estate agent, and I think that being able to get some tips would be good. I’m glad you talked about being able to look at online reviews for real estate agents. I think that being able to check reviews would be good, and help me be able to make the best decision for my family! Thanks!

  5. I appreciate your tip to check out the reviews online and to carefully read through the negative reviews to see what they’re about. My husband and I are in need of a real estate agent to help us buy a new house, and we are wondering how to find the best one. We will be sure to check out the reviews that are left for the real estate agents we consider and to pay close attention to the negative ones.

    1. That’s a great idea, Ashley. One of the ways to get help is to get a great recommendation. Keep in mind that a friend that loved their agent for selling their home may not turn out to be the best choice in buying a home.

  6. I like that you mention that when you’re looking to sell, you should get recommendations from people who also just sold a home, not people who just bought a home. My husband and I are looking to move this year and we’re not quite sure what we want in terms of a home, so I think we’ll rent a house until we know what we want to settle on. For us, it’s important that we find a real estate agent that is reputable and can help us find our perfect home.

  7. My mother is looking into getting a real estate agent to help her buy a new home. Since her primary focus is getting out of the home that she is currently living in I would think we would focus on a buyer. This will help her find a wonderful place to live.

  8. I was just thinking about looking for a real estate firm soon to help us out in our eventual move this summer. Your advice to look at negative reviews with more interest than the positive ones is quite an interesting method I wish to explore further on. Having a way to assess the potential real estate firms we would be getting is most likely going to get us the best real estate agent we could get. Thanks!

    1. Hi Vivian, it’s a bit disingenuous to say that you were, “just thinking about looking for a real estate firm soon to help us out in our eventual move this summer” when you are including a link to another real estate company. Is your own company not good enough for you?

  9. Thanks for your post about how a real estate agent should that has trustworthy and positive online reviews. I also like how you said that you should try to meet with them in person ahead of time. My husband and I are looking into real estate agents that we could possibly hire to help us find a new house. http://www.come2warrenton.com/areas/Warrenton.aspx

  10. I like your advice on paying more attention to reviews, especially ones that talk about how a real estate agent handled any issues or conflicts that came up in more complex situations. I am thinking about moving to another state for a new job, but I would need to find a real estate agent there to help me find a new home. I think that consulting reviews, as well as the BBB, might be a good place to start to find a reliable agent.

  11. I have never heard that perspective before! I think I just might look into the negative reviews. The only thing I would suggest is that you take the good and the bad together! That way, your search isn’t biased.

  12. Thank you for all the tips on how to choose your real estate agent. I really want to buy a home, but I need some help. I really like your tip about reading some of the negative reviews. I think they would be pretty useful. It would be a good way to see how they handle that.

  13. I really appreciate your tip to look for a real estate agent that has positive online reviews. I also like how you said that they should be good at making bad mistakes as well. My husband and I are looking for realtors to help us with our next move; we want it to be a rather smooth process.

  14. I agree that online reviews could not be considered as a reliable reason while choosing a real estate agent. People try to do certain research before hiring real estate professionals which are known to the real estate agents. So, such agents buy positive reviews to attract potential customers. So, the authentic way to get a professional real estate agent is to ask friends, family members, neighbors or co-workers. After guidance of such persons, we could go online to do some research on the internet about such real estate professionals. I did so and make a profitable real estate transaction and if you are searching for a reliable and experienced professional, You may visit: http://www.landwin.com/property-management

  15. I never would’ve thought of all of the work that is required to get a house out on the market, especially taking so many pictures and where to put those advertisements. I agree that a realtor would know exactly where to put those advertisements so the right target audience can see your house. My wife and I are debating when we should hire a realtor, and I will be sure to recommend that we hire one before we try to advertise our house.

  16. My sister wants to buy a home with his husband and it will be their first time. It was explained here that it will be best to find a good real estate agent who’s good with transactions. Moreover, it’s recommended to consult professionals when planning to buy a real estate for sale.

  17. Thanks for elaborating on the best way to choose your real estate agent. I agree that looking at reviews online is a great way to find a good Realtor, but you want to take it with a grain of salt. There is always someone who will leave a bad review because of something that is completely out of the hands of the Realtor.

  18. My friend called and asked me if I know a real estate for sale. In addition, she wants me to recommend her a licensed and certified real estate agent who can assist her with her real estate transactions. I told her that I’ll try my best to find one for her.

  19. I’m thinking of hiring a real estate agent to help me sell my home. I appreciate how you point out the need to pay attention to reviews when deciding on which agent to work with. I know I’d definitely be a lot more comfortable working with an agent after reading their reviews.

  20. This is truly a great read for me!! Once again, thanks for the quality articles you post on your blog!! That is very interesting You definitely made my day with this awesome post. I am always searching for informative stuff like this! I will check here often for more cool stuff.🙂

  21. Hello, This is a good article. I agree with the fact that one should choose a real estate who is knowledgeable about the neighborhood and surrounding areas of the property that you are looking to buy. This is truly a great read for me. Thanks a lot for posting a quality article like this & keep sharing 🙂

  22. I appreciate how you mentioned that when choosing a real estate agent, it’s important to find one that is recommended by people that have recently completed a real estate purchase or sale. I think that someone who has a history of providing customer satisfaction to those around you is likely to work hard to do the same for you, to maintain their reputation. My niece is thinking of buying her first house, but she isn’t sure who she can trust to handle the negotiations and transactions. I’ll have to recommend that she find a trustworthy and reputable real estate brokerage in her area that is recommended by her colleagues so she can be guided through the home buying process.

  23. Purchasing or selling a property can be quite the escapade. For that reason, you need a competent real estate professional to assist you on the thoroughfare to reaching your ultimate aspiration. Each state has its own rules and laws regarding the agreement needed for a successful deal. Lamentably, these regulations are frequently altering. Thus, hiring an seasoned estate proxy will direct you through the stacks of filing required to make the dream an actuality. Making a real estate decision is as crucial as doing speculation in a four-wheeler. Thus, it won’t be wise, if you make that decision without consulting an estate expert.

  24. I thought it was interesting how the article talked about hiring a real estate agent that has recently completed a real estate sale or purchase. My wife and I are planning on moving to the other side of the country, so we have been trying to find a real estate agent to help us sell our home. It would be great to hire someone who has experience and has had current success with selling homes.

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