Looking to buy a home? Pick the right Realtor.

The people that visit my many open houses present me with a great opportunity to learn. I ask a lot of questions, and listen carefully to the responses. Sometimes, the visitors take the opportunity to tell me about their current or last Realtor. Here are some if the things that I hear; "She seemed too busy for us",  "He didn't explain things very well", "We have to call her to find out about anything", "He kept showing us property that we specifically told him we didn't want", "we must have looked at 30 homes", "She never answers her phone".

When you are ready to start the search for a new home, do yourself a favor and take the time to find the right Realtor. Ask yourself a few questions after you have spoken with a prospective Realtor; Do they seem to understand the current market? After you have spoken with them for a while, do they know the inventory well enough to suggest specific properties? Did they suggest multiple uses of technology (internet search tools, texting tools, quick response codes) to aid in your search? Did they write down anything you told them? Did they ask questions about you? Or did they just talk about their qualifications? Did they suggest a meeting at their office to review/explain the home buying process from start to finish? Do they have an office? If they can walk you through the process smoothly, there is a good chance they will understand the process well enough to assure the details of your transaction are completed timely. These are all things that a true professional  Realtor will do. If they can communicate with you and listen to you in the interview, then chances are that they will do so throughout the transaction. A professional values your time as well as her own. Their job is to ask questions, listen to your answers, and apply what they have learned to get you what YOU want, quickly and efficiently. 

Take the time to find the right Realtor. You will be glad you did.