10 Questions to ask your Real Estate Agent
Do you ever drive down the interstate and wonder, “How did they get a driver’s license”? I ask the same question in my profession. I run up against agents that seem like they just fell off the turnip truck. I shudder to think what kind of job they must (not) be doing for their clients. Many times throughout my career, I have done the job of the other agent, simply out of necessity to get to the closing table and make sure it went smoothly for my client. In order to have a better chance at making sure you have an agent that is knowledgeable and is not going to cave under pressure or get you into legal issues, here are 10 questions to ask: 1. Are you a REALTOR®? Anyone who goes through the classes and passes the tests can be a real estate agent, but let’s be honest, it’s not that hard to get a license. Once you get a license, you are a real estate agent. Only agents that are affiliated with the National Association of Realtors can call themselves Realtors. Realtors are held to a higher standard. We abide by a Realtor Code of Ethics. They are our standards of practice in the way we treat others and how professional we are. We can be fined, have our license suspended or lose our license by violating any of these. 2. How much education do you have? As licensees, we are required to have 16 hours of continuing education every 2 years. How much education does your agent get beyond that? There are professional designations that give an agent education in a specialized area of real estate. Most professional agents will do more than the required education, read books, or attend conferences that sharpen their real estate tools. 3. How long have you been an agent? I was once a new agent. I had a wonderful mentor that took me under his wing and taught me how to list a house, how to stage a house, how to sell a house, and how to work with buyers. If I needed anything, at any time, he was there to help. I say this because it’s not necessarily a bad thing if your agent is brand new. They may have a lot more time to devote to you since they may not have as many clients as a seasoned agent. Typically, the longer they have been working as a real estate agent, the more scenarios they have run up against and the better equipped they are at handling them. 4. Are you a full time agent? In fast paced markets, you need a full time agent. If your agent has another...
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