How To Find A Real Estate Agent You Can Trust

If you’re thinking of making a move that means you’re at the start of an exciting journey! Selecting the perfect new abode that fits your lifestyle and budget can be fun, but also sometimes a winding and bumpy road. This means having a capable real estate agent with the right skills and knowledge for your home buying or selling journey can make all the difference.

Your real estate agent will use their experience with real estate transactions to anticipate and address the twist and turns from the beginning of your home move all the way through the complex sale transaction, to the closing and moving-in process.

Beyond expertise, the most important part of your relationship with your real estate agent is trust. For a few months, your agent will be negotiating on your behalf with a plethora of different people and businesses. This will include home sellers and/or buyers, other agents, title companies, brokers, inspectors, tradespeople and many more. This means you will need someone that you have complete trust in when it comes to keeping your best interests in mind.

7 Steps To Find A Real Estate Agent

Finding a trustworthy real estate agent doesn’t usually happen without a little effort and know-how. Here are some steps to help you during your real estate agent search.

1. Learn The Basics Of A Real Estate Agent’s Duties

Real estate agents come in many shapes and sizes when it comes to their roles in your home sale or search. They also vary in their level of expertise in specific parts of the real estate buying and selling process. The following are a few key distinctions between different types of real estate agents.

Buyer’s Agents Vs. Seller’s Agents

The two primary types of residential real estate agents are buyer’s agents and listing agents (also known as selling agents). Buyer’s agents represent buyers during a home search and throughout the real estate acquisition transaction. Selling agents represent sellers during the preparation and sale of their home. Many real estate agents serve as both buyer and listing agents.

REALTORS^® Vs. Real Estate Agents

REALTORS^® are a type of real estate agent that are members of the National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR). NAR outlines a code of ethics that members are required to follow. This means that real estate agents that are REALTORS^® are held to a different set of standards than real estate agents that are not members of NAR.

Real Estate Agents Vs. Real Estate Brokers

Real estate agents have people or institutions that oversee their transactions, provide services to help them in their business and charge a fee for these services. They also serve as a pass-through payment entity when real estate agents complete a sale. These are called brokers.

Experienced real estate agents may choose to obtain their broker's license, allowing them to operate independently or establish their own brokerage firm. This involves meeting certain eligibility criteria, such as completing a specified number of real estate transactions and passing a broker licensing exam. Once licensed as a broker, they may have the authority to oversee their own transactions and may also choose to hire and supervise other agents.

2. Prepare Before Finding A Good REALTOR^®

It’s a good idea to set yourself (and your real estate agent) up for success by preparing before meeting with them. Bringing the following information to an interview with a real estate agent will help you determine if they are right for you (and vice versa).

Find Out How Much House You Can Afford

Before you get carried away looking at beautiful properties, it’s a good idea to figure out how much house you can afford. This includes taking stock of your monthly bills and income, your savings, and your future financial goals.

Save For A Down Payment

If you haven’t already, it’s important to save for a down payment on your new home. The first step is to set a down payment savings goal. Consider using an affordability calculator to see how much house you can afford based on your debt-to-income ratio and credit score.

Once you have your goal, look at your monthly budget and see what expenses you can remove and divert those funds into a savings account. Once you calculate your goal and how much you can put toward it each month you’ll be able to estimate when it’s time to start a home search.

Get Preapproved

The mortgage preapproval process involves working with a lender to get a sense of how big of a loan you might be able to get for your home purchase. The lender asks you questions about your income, savings, debt and other financial information. The lender also does a soft pull on your credit. They use this information to get you preapproved for a loan. It’s important to know that preapproval differs from prequalification.

Prequalification involves a hard credit pull and verification of the self-reported information you gave the lender during the preapproval process. As you might imagine, prequalification is more accurate than preapproval.

3. Know What To Look For When Finding A Good REALTOR^®

Knowing what to look for in a good real estate agent is critical to finding the right one. Experience, market knowledge, client reviews and professional credentials are a few good ones to consider. Keep in mind that the importance of each of these categories might be different for different types of home buyers or sellers.

• Professional credentials: As previously discussed, REALTORS^® are held to a higher standard than real estate agents, so that’s a good credential to look for. Beyond that, there are a variety of certifications for expertise with very specific types of buyers. Relocation, first-time home buyers, seniors, investment property buyers and sports/entertainment client specialists, just to name a few.
• Real estate experience: Agents with a lot of experience working with buyers and selling different types of homes might be a good choice. The more knowledge of different types of transactions an agent has accumulated, the more likely they are to serve you well during your home buying or selling transaction.
• Market knowledge: Understanding of the local market you are buying or selling real estate in is one of the most important skill sets a good real estate agent must have. When selling, they need to know how to list and price your home to get you the best return possible. For buyers, agents must understand the price and pace of the local market to find and get you your next home.
• Client reviews: A great way to see how good an agent will be is to see what past clients say about them. A number of online review sites make this pretty easy.

Signs Of A Bad Real Estate Agent

Looking for a good real estate agent you can trust also means avoiding finding a bad one. Here are a few red flags to keep an eye out for.

• Poor marketing: If an agent doesn’t have a knack for marketing, how are they going to best promote your house when they list it for sale? If they don’t know how to present themselves in the best possible light (marketing), how good are they going to be at presenting your offer when you find the home you want?
• Bad communication: Bad or no communication is unacceptable in real estate. Agents need to make sure your best interests are represented and you feel informed and at ease throughout a really stressful process. This comes down to a lot of things, but none are more important than communication.
• Sales pressure: Putting pressure on a client to complete a sale so they can earn commission is just plain wrong and a sign of a bad agent. The right house and the right time to buy is purely the client's decision and agents should only advise and recommend with that in mind.

4. Find The Best Real Estate Agents

So, now that you have your criteria, where can you find a good agent? Here are a few places to start.

Research Online

There are a plethora of real estate sites online where you can search for homes and real estate agents. However, a Google search is probably your best bet. Many sites charge agents to advertise and funnel people to them to keep those ad dollars flowing in, not because they are the best agent. Use keywords describing the type of agent you are looking for and scroll past the ad search results to get into the organic search results. These are more likely to be based in fact.

Get Referrals

If you are moving to another state and can't use a previous agent you have used, ask them for a referral. There are few people better suited to find you a good agent than those who are agents themselves. Your mortgage lender or friends and family are other good referral sources. Nothing beats a trusted referral source for finding a real estate agent you can trust.

Visit Open Houses

Visiting open houses can be a great way to find a good real estate agent as well. Seeing them in action will give you a good sense of what it would be like to work with them during your home buying or selling process.

5. Interview At Least 3 Agents

Once you decide to contact a real estate agent, don’t stop at one. Interviewing at least three before deciding will increase your chances of finding a good fit. Like any profession, different people bring different skill sets and approaches to the job. Comparing and contrasting a few options is always a good idea. 

6. Ask Agents The Right Questions

Knowing the right questions to ask a REALTOR^® during the interview process will help you get the most out of your search for the right agent. One of the most important qualities a good real estate agent must have is listening. Bringing a list of questions helps ensure they don’t do all the talking and allows you to determine if they are hearing what you're looking for. 

Think about what is important to you when considering your home purchase or sale journey and formulate a list of questions that are geared to your specific needs. Not sure where to start? Here are a few good ones to consider bringing to the table.

Questions To Ask A Real Estate Agent When Buying

• How do you think your expertise fits with what I have told you I am looking for in a new home?
• When I work with you, do I always get you or will I be working with other members of your team?
• Tell me about your knowledge of the local market. Are homes selling fast? Are they selling for over, under or at asking price?
• How will you work in tandem with our lender?
• Can you walk me through your process to help me find and close on a home?
• What are the fees and commissions associated with this relationship and who pays them?

Questions To Ask A Real Estate Agent When Selling

• Do you think my home is ready to list for sale? What improvements do you recommend?
• Should I consider staging my home?
• Tell me about your knowledge of the local market. Are homes selling fast? Are they selling for over, under or at asking price?
• How will you market my home to prospective buyers and buyer’s agents?
• Can you walk me through your process to help me sell my home?
• What are the fees and commissions associated with this relationship and who pays them?

7. Go With Your Gut

Listen to their answers, research them online and ask your friends and neighbors to see if a specific agent is the right fit for you. After all that, trust your instincts. Sometimes you can just get a vibe from a real estate agent that they are someone you can trust with this important step in your life. Other times, you might get a vibe that they are just not the right fit for you. Trust your gut.

FAQs On How To Find A Good Real Estate Agent

Hopefully you feel well-equipped to go out and find the best agent for your home sale or purchase. If questions remain, maybe they can be answered here.

What is the average commission range a REALTOR^® can make as a buyer’s agent?

A buyer agent’s real estate commission is negotiable and can be paid by either the seller or the buyer, through the buyer agent’s broker or the listing agent’s broker. Talk to each agent you interview about their specific commission structure.

Do I need to sign a listing agreement with a REALTOR^®?

Yes, if you want to use a real estate agent to sell or purchase real estate, they will ask that you sign an agreement. This is called a listing agreement when you sell your home and a buyer agency agreement when you buy one.

Can I buy or sell a house without a real estate agent?

Yes, selling or buying a house without a REALTOR^® or real estate agent is certainly legal. That said, it’s not usually the best course of action. These are complicated processes and transactions. Having an expert in your corner is invaluable.

The Bottom Line: Find The Best Real Estate Agent You Can Trust With Your Goals

Finding and selecting a real estate agent, whether you’re buying or selling a home, is critical to a successful real estate transaction. Educate yourself on the home selling or buying process, learn about what real estate agents do, prepare for your interviews and then go find some agents to talk with. Ready to get started? You can connect with a Verified Partner Agent from Rocket Homes^SM today.