As of May 2019, there are at least 162,330 real estate agents in the United States alone. Finding out what makes a good realtor will drastically improve your experience when you’re buying a home.
Florida, Texas, and California have more realtors than any other state. Nonetheless, it’s important to know the traits of a good realtor regardless of where you currently live or plan on moving to.
The homebuying process takes a decent length of time to complete. You’ll be spending a lot of time with your realtor, so you better choose one that suits you well.
Here are 5 qualities of a good realtor.
1. Communication
Knowing how to choose a realtor means paying attention to their communication skills. The best realtors are willing to answer your questions and guide you through the buying process.
It’s a good sign if a realtor establishes how often they plan on communicating with you upfront. Giving the realtor multiple ways to contact you increases their chances of successful communication.
2. Experience
Every experienced realtor has a background they’re willing to share with you. If a realtor gives vague answers about their experience, it’s a hard pass.
Always ask each realtor you’re considering how long they’ve been selling and buying homes for, but don’t stop there. Make it a point to ask about list-price-to-sales-price ratios and the average length of time it takes for clients to find/close on deals.
3. Local Knowledge
Anyone who knows how to choose a real estate agent looks for someone with local knowledge. Any realtor worth their salt will know their local market like the back of their hand.
For instance, Jennifer Jewell from JenJewell.ca is a realtor who serves Caledon, Orangeville, and Shelburne in Ontario, Canada. She knows the area more than well enough to sell homes and make her clients happy all at once.
4. Good Chemistry and Trust
Recognizing chemistry is the most important facet of learning how to pick a realtor. Talking to your realtor should feel comfortable and easy. Anything other than that is settling for less.
Always trust your gut feelings when it comes to knowing what to look for in a real estate agent. If a realtor looks good on paper yet gives you bad vibes, get out of there fast! It’s a bad sign.
5. Positive Reviews
The best realtors have great reviews to show for their success. Getting a word-of-mouth recommendation is great, but glowing online reviews are just as good.
Make sure you read the positive and negative reviews alike. Both types of reviews reveal something about the realtor you might’ve missed otherwise.
If there are multiple reviews complaining about the same thing, then tada! You’ve spotted a negative pattern, so proceed with caution.
Now You Know What Makes a Good Realtor
According to the National Association of Realtors, realtors sold 5.34 million homes in 2019. Fortunately, when it’s your time to buy a home, you’ll understand what makes a good realtor before choosing one.
In the United States, there are at least 106,548 real estate brokerage firms in operation. As people keep buying homes, more realtors will enter the market, which means you’ll need to use more discernment.
Get informed—check out our informative buying guides. An educated consumer is a happy consumer.