Interviewing A Realtor? Ask These 4 Questions
Are you in the process of trying to find a realtor to buy a home, but not sure what questions to ask to find a good one? Here are 4 questions that you should ask when interviewing a realtor.
Are You Full Or Part-Time?
One of the first things that you should ask is if they are a realtor as their full-time job, or is this a part-time job. You definitely want a realtor that is working full time for a couple of reasons. If there is a house that you see that recently went up on the market, you likely want to set up a showing as soon as possible before someone else makes an offer. If your realtor is part-time and cannot schedule that showing with you, it can cause you to lose out on houses to other buyers.
How Many Homes Have You Helped Buy Or Sell?
Rather than ask someone how many years they have been working as a realtor, ask them how many homes they have helped buy and sell over the years. Even if it's just an estimate, it will give you an idea about the amount of experience they have as a realtor. If someone only tells you the number of years they have been a realtor, you never really know how active they were during that time.
What Are Your Negotiating Strategies?
Many buyers end up in situations where there are multiple offers on a home, or a home is priced too high and you want to get a better price. Ask your realtor how they would handle these situations? For example, they may recommend using an escalation clause to beat out multiple offers or find comparable homes to submit with your offer letter to prove that it is overpriced. These techniques can end up saving you thousands of dollars, so it is important to know what their strategy could be and if they have ideas.
Do You Primarily Work With Buyers Or Sellers?
It is worth asking what the realtor specializes in, either buying homes or selling homes. It is perfectly okay if they say both, but it will give you an idea about what side of the process they are passionate about. If they say they love workers with buyers because of the excitement that comes with finding somebody a new home, that could make them a really great fit for you as a buyer.
For further tips, reach out to a local realtor.
