How do I Find a Good Realtor I Should Work With?
It's a common question - and perhaps not one always asked of THE Realtor - but definitely one discussed amongst the public! I just did a post - Is It Wrong to Work With More Then One Realtor? and one question begets another. It reminded me of a conversation I had recently.
I was working my mall shift at the Kiosk the other day ~ and chatting with a customer and she asked..."But How do I find the Good Realtor?".......And I thought to myself - the choice Must be confusing for people! If you don't have someone you know recommend one - and if you don't want to solely rely on the ads in the Real Estate Weekly what do you do?
Well I can tell you what you Don't Want to do! And that's choose on the basis of the Lowest Commission and Who Suggests the Highest Price for your home! But that's the subject of another post. This one is about what you Should Do!
Some people go for Experience - believing that is the KEY! And it could be - but brand new agents can be amazing as well. There's something about enthusiasm and thinking anything is possible - that can be pretty powerful!
I'm a big believer in Enthusiasm: When an agent shows excitement about your home it'll come through in every conversation whether it be on the phone - at an open house - or through their advertising! They'll be able to convince both Realtors and Customers to view the house but still make recommendations to show your home in it's best light!
Marketing has always been important ~ but these days a Web presence is critical! I believe one of the first things you should do is GOOGLE them. 
Google their name, their company and things like 'Your Town/Community Realtor' and see what comes up. Ask the Realtor if they BLOG, evaluate their Website (because of course they HAVE to have one)....Ask them to show you how they market other homes - that'll give you a pretty good clue! If you're not computer savy then ask a friend that is!
Find out where the Realtors advertise ~ Real Estate Newspapers have become passe in some communities so don't be surprised if they don't advertise in newspapers - but let them show you how they will market your property. In the same way Open Houses can be a good tool in some areas and yet not in others. So ask questions and ask why. Ultimately you want to get to the point where you trust the Realtor in their choice of marketing !
Communication: You want an agent that can tell you The Good, The Bad and the Ugly! A phone call after each showing is not too much to expect, nor is a monthly report outlining showings, ads placed, feedback, etc. You should be able to expect a return phone call within a few hours - but some Realtors don't work Weekends or evenings - so make sure you know what you can expect.
All that being said.......I find Intuition and 'Gut Feelings' can also be a powerful factor. You'll know if you feel uneasy about the potential association or if there's a mutual respect and camaraderie. My best advice? Research, Ask Questions And then go with your Gut Feeling!
If you or someone you know is thinking of Buying or Selling property in Cultus Lake, Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Langley or anywhere in the Fraser Valley Area of B.C. - or if you would like more information please give Liz Moras of Landmark Realty Chilliwack a call at- 604-799-0459 or e-mail at lizmoras@gmail.com.
Copyright © 2009 By Liz Moras, All Rights Reserved. All photos taken by Liz Moras and copywritten. Please do not use without permission. Information provided by this author is only an opinion, it is not guaranteed, may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive. It is not necessarily representative of the opinions of Landmark Realty Chwk. Ltd.
Liz,
Why didn't you tell her that she was looking at one? Jokingly and seriously? Yo got to tell people this or they would be asking you where to look for while talking to you as if you are some educator
What great advice Liz, google is like a 3rd party reference. If you are well known online, you have an advantage.
Hi Liz, It is so difficult to know what professional to use/or who to call. You have outlined a great way to get started things to ask and investigate. I'm always grateful to people who call, and end up working with me - still if it wasn't a good fit (gut) I would not mind if they asked for someone else - it's like going to a new doctor, if you don't like him/her you can(should) move on. Thanks for this great post, and for your thoughtful comments on my post tonight, friend.
lol - jon - of course i did -and ended up listing her place while at it :-) you funny guy you - :-)
Liz
Lots of great points, but I am with you on the enthusiasm. Energy in a real estate agent can never be overlooked.
Darren - Google can be an amazing FRIEND or enemy from what I hear ;-)
Mary - I've gone to so many memorials lately it's hard to get your head out of a funk......i guess chemistry works with clients like it works with dates? :-)i'll be thinking of you tomorrow!...
Excellent post, Liz! Every buyer and seller should read this.
Liz, I just Googled "Liz Moras" and discovered that you dominate the first page. Very nice, lady! And very nice post. ;-)
It used to be good looks, now it's who looks good on Google.
Cheers, i just say Google Fred Carver Victoria BC and call me in the mornin
Love it, Liz. Now I have to make sure that when the Google me, I am up there and that my website is all neat and tidy and ready for them when they arrive.
Liz, this is a great list and so true! Enthusiasm does go a long way, doesn't it?
Oh Randy if I wasn't No. Googling Liz Moras who would be? lol page 1 through 177 but i appreciate your tongue and cheek~ - Thanks Courtney - I'm big on it - but I know some pretty successful Reators that are anything but 'enthusiastic' and yet they are successful - go figure! lol
Jane - It's requires lots of babysitting! :-)
Fred - Googlicious!
Maria - i hope they do!
Tom - energy for sure - you want to feel the 'sizzle' & the 'steak' :-)
Liz - marketing and communication are two very imortant aspects to consider in choosing who you work with ... the person you choose is likely dealing with the largest assest you have if they can't communicte well with you and do not have a good marketing plan in place it will cost you.
Good morning Liz--Great post with lots of good tips. I am off to teach a group of prospective agents how to pass the real estate exam. When we break I will show them your suggestions. Have a good day! Mary
Just like modesty in childbirth, I 've lost it when it comes to letting peopel know I'm a good realtor, just got to do it. There's no turning back :)
Thanks Liz...great points. The real question for me is how to get clients to work within those type of guidelines. I think most people are caught up almost as much emotionally selling as they were when buying. And emotions can defy logic when it comes to selling a home.
Liz - It's good to hear that kiosks can be successful for generating high quality leads.
Liz - this is wonderful advice for the seller (or buyer) that just isn't sure where to start looking for that perfect agent. We, as agents, DO have to stay on top of our websites, blogs, et cetera - if we don't they'll just pass up by!
Leesa- it's true - I try to set aside a weekend a month to work on my website - and that should make it 'this' weekend! :-)
Marc - it's not overwhelming and it takes time but it's there - 4-6 hrs a week - like a couple of open houses?
John - I think it's just getting the word out and educating them - blogs - newsletters - websites - because that is where most are going now for information!
Janice - yep - I find men don't have as much trouble 'getting the word out'.....not sure why we as women are more humble...lol
Mary - I'm so glad you can use it! :-)
Kathy - that's a good breakdown and it's true!
Whatever you claim to do when the rubber hits the road needs to pan out when they hire you and the proof is in the pudding after all the research.
Monika - follow through - you're absolutely right! :-)