How to Choose a Real Estate Agent

After you’ve made the decision to move and secured financing for your new home, the next step is to hire a real estate agent to help you sell your home and show you new ones.

The two most popular ways to find an agent are either referrals from friends and family or searching online. Using either approach, you will want to start with five or more names. Research each candidate online to read reviews from their past customers. The agent you choose should have many positive reviews. In addition to their reviews, check for any special certifications or awards that the agent has earned. This often indicates that the agent is a top producer and dedicated to their career. Also, most agents have a list of their current and past homes sold on their website. Carefully review this list to ensure that the agent has experience selling homes that are comparable to yours.

After your online research is complete, it’s time to interview your top three candidates. Even if you receive an agent’s name from a trusted friend or family member, it’s important to interview them to make sure that they are the right match for you. Following are some sample questions to ask during your interview:

• How long have you been working as an agent in our area? The longer they have been in business locally, the more knowledgeable they will be about the area and can offer you superior advice on pricing your home and negotiating for buying a new one.

• Do you work as an agent full-time or part-time? If the agent has a second job that they work during normal business hours, they may only be able to work with you during evenings and weekends.

• How will you market my home? Some agents may snap some photos, post the listing on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and then sit back and wait for buyers to visit. Other agents take a more aggressive approach by providing you with tips on how to stage your home, hire a professional photographer to take photos for the MLS, website and brochures, as well as place ads in relevant media. Generally, the more aggressively the agent markets your home, the faster it will sell.

• How much would you ask for my home? The agent should show you comparable homes that recently sold in the neighborhood (called comps) and explain their rationale for why they are pricing the home as they are. While each agent may have their own pricing philosophy and provide a different price, they should all be in the same ballpark. If all three are vastly different, interview additional agents to find a consensus.

Ultimately, you want to select someone that is highly knowledgeable, experienced, and trustworthy.  As you move forward with your journey to sell your home and buy your new home, know that the Choice Mortgage Group is here to help you with all your financing needs.

Since 1995, Choice Mortgage Group has been providing homeowners with the best real estate financing programs available. As a licensed lender, we offer a wide variety of services and programs that satisfy the unique needs of each of our clients.

Specializing in residential mortgage lending for over 25 years, our programs include conventional and government lending, purchases, and refinances. We also offer portfolio lending for self-employed borrowers and borrowers with complicated tax situations. South Florida is where Choice Mortgage Group started, and we like to call it home. We are devoted Florida Atlantic University Owls fans and are proud to be the official mortgage lender of FAU Athletics. We also support numerous other local organizations. For more information about Choice Mortgage Group, visit www.choicemortgage.com.

Choice Mortgage Group

2424 N Federal Hwy, Suite 100

Boca Raton, FL 33431

(561) 395-6900

info@choicemortgage.com