The 10 Most Important Questions To Ask Your Realtor
1. Are you committed to being my fiduciary?
To act as a fiduciary means to put your clients’ interests above all other interests, even your own. Not all real estate agents commit to offering fiduciary services which can come at the expense of your purchase or sale by costing you time, money… or even the entire transaction. Make sure your real estate agent will be your fiduciary because in the state of Georgia, not all agents offer this higher level of service. All Community & Council agents are fiduciaries and have committed to offering the highest level of service.
2. Are you just a real estate agent or a realtor™?
Not all real estate agents are created equal! To be a REALTOR™ means that a commitment has been made to offer a higher level of ethical service by joining an association enforcing those standards. A REALTOR™ has made a commitment to follow a robust code of ethics, while an ordinary real estate agent has not. Be sure to ask your REALTOR™ which association they belong to as an extra precaution.
3. What availability works best for you?
The journey of home ownership is meant to be an enjoyable one. The sale of your most valuable asset should be a lucrative one. You should never spend your precious time or money battling with an agent who is overbooked, on vacation, or just plain inconsistent. Prior to committing to a specific agent, ask what their availability is.
Be leery of any agent that has a completely open schedule. This may be a sign that you are their only client! Not only could that be a sign of inexperience, but also a sign of desperation. Remember, real estate agents are on a commission only income, and when in a position of desperation, people can act out of character.
Community & Council agents work very hard to plan ahead, stay organized, and meet set expectations to successfully meet client goals. This allows them to successfully run their businesses in a thoughtful and productive manner which produces bigger business for them and very exceptional service for you.
4. What is your level of experience?
An agent’s sales volume does matter to an extent, but more so the experience of them in combination with their team matters. Be sure to key in on their experience along with that of their team to ensure you have a solid group of real estate experts handling your file. Are they a solo agent? If so, who is helping successfully move your file along to meet major deadlines and milestones? Are they on a team? Again, if so, who will be helping on the back end ensure your transaction is successful?
5. Are you a hand-holder?
A home purchase or sale is one of the biggest transactions in a persons life, so it’s not too much to ask of an agent to be reachable and take the time to educate you. The process is full of quirks and unknowns to most people, and that is okay, but when your money is involved you deserve to feel empowered and confident.
6. What personality types do you work best with?
Let’s face it… you’re going to be spending a lot of time with your agent, so you might as well like them and work well with them. Don’t be afraid to ask what types of client an agent works best with. Everyone is unique, so it makes sense that not all personalities are a great fit right off the bat.
7. What locations are you most familiar with?
All real estate agents are licensed to serve clients in their entire state, but likely aren’t familiar with every city and neighborhood. Ask your agent what area(s) they are most familiar with and where they are comfortable servicing. Make sure the area you are most interested in is part of their comfort zone.
8. Do you specialize in any specific types of service?
As with any industry, there are various niches within the real estate industry. Be sure the agent you are interviewing specializes in the type of service you need. Residential agentry is very different from commercial agentry, and an experienced buyer agent is very different from an experienced seller agent.
9. What is your marketing strategy? (For sellers)
The most quality agents come prepared with a very strategic and specific marketing plan which is created to maximize your property’s exposure to potential buyers. Be sure to inquire as to what your agent’s marketing strategy is, and how it will maximize your success. To view our unique marketing plan, click here.
10. What MLs do you have access to?
An MLS is a database of properties that real estate agents have access to. There are several MLSs per a state and are location based, meaning more rural areas may have their own separate database. For example, the FMLS is very common in Atlanta and shows available properties throughout the city, but as you start to exit the perimeter more and more listings are added to a different system by the name of GaMLS. Does your realtor have access to both of those systems? Here at C&C we are proud members of the FMLS, GaMLS, and even a special Keller Williams MLS called KWMLS!
Need more information?
Contact us and we would be happy to help!