What to Look for in a Real Estate Agent

Navigation: Main page » Real Estate

 Print this page Submit articleComment article

Author: Tom Levine

Article source: http://www.loans-resource.com/. Used with author's permission.

Real Estate Agents play an essential, critical role in the process of buying and selling a home. You just simply cannot afford to work with an agent that does not exhibit top-scale professional values. We're talking about your primary investment, and the happiness of you and your loved ones.

Here are the 3, most important things that I've encountered, that I believe contribute towards excellence in the profession of Real Estate agents.

1. To Serve

2. To Know

3. To Listen

1. To Serve:

Real Estate is a service business, and homeowners and buyers must be treated with the respect that they deserve. A Real Estate Agent must demonstrate that they care about you, and that their primary concern is to serve your needs, and not their own.

a) Look for agents that carry cell phones everywhere they go, and that have no problem taking late night calls, or being interrupted during a Saturday morning snooze. This isn't a rib of steak you're buying (or selling). It is more important than everything and anything, and it can be a stressful, anxious process to go through. Customers deserve a confidant, and to be treated with the utmost of care.

b) Avoid agents that think they know everything. Seek out agents yearning to find out about you, and your likes, dislikes, and opinions. Avoid agents hail-bent on trying to prove what an encyclopedia of wisdom and advice they are. You're thoughts matter too!

c) Your time is important. If you want to see 20 properties or more, don't let anyone stop you. A Real Estate agent that encourages you to look, and explore, is more worthy of your time, than an agent that tries to fit you into their busy schedule. This is your buying experience, not theirs.

2. To Know:

I believe that knowledge is gained through familiarity. So, having a real estate agent that is familiar with the landscape of the land is of critical importance.

a) I like agents that have lived in the area for a while, that know all the names of the streets, and that know the high schools, the local grocery stores, and the local parks.

b) I enjoy listening to an agent's own personal experiences, as we drive through neighborhoods, or review demographics. It's not as important to me that they're old, or young, or rich, or hungry, or just like me, or nothing like me, or whatever. As long as the stories are real, and are related, that's all that matters.

c) I think an agent needs to be always on. Do they have access to all the information at all times? Do they constantly look for new properties, or new values, and do they have networked connections locally to appraisers, and loan officers, and title companies? Are they always thinking about my circumstance, and trying to connect the dots in my interest? I don't want to be sold on decisions that earn commissions. I want to be guided to properties and professionals that best meet my needs.

3. To Listen:

There is no greater communication skill, then the ability to listen. Most of us find it next to impossible, to be silent, and take it all in. We all strive to be the center of attention, the story of the day, and the opinion worth listening to.

a) Real Estate agents that master the art of listening can truly hone in on your needs. These are the agents worth keeping in your rolodex, because they can tune in to your desires, your personality, your financial profile, and all critical elements of the deal, without your even being aware of it.

b) This is not so easy to spot, because often times, the ability to listen is overlooked. A good listener, after all, probably isn't speaking as much. But consider this: Is the conversation mostly about you? Does the agent ask a lot of questions relating to your personal tastes, experiences, and ideas? Do you find yourself walking away, feeling a satisfaction about the dialog? These are all signs that you've just come into contact with a master listener.

c) And the real testament to an agent that listens, is when they finally do speak. Usually, when they do say something, it's really, really important, and right on target, and completely unforgettable. Why? Because, they've spent most of their time absorbing you and your situation, and then they nail you with the bomb…Their recommendations that truly will change your life forever. I swear to you, it's golden. You'll get a much better property bought or sold, if you can find a real estate agent that knows how to listen.

We've enjoyed providing this information to you, and we wish you the best of luck in your pursuits. Remember to always seek out good advice from those you trust, and never turn your back on your own common sense.

Publisher's Directions: This article may be freely distributed so long as the copyright, author's information, disclaimer, and an active link (where possible) are included.

Disclaimer: Statements and opinions expressed in the articles, reviews and other materials herein are those of the authors. While every care has been taken in the compilation of this information and every attempt made to present up-to-date and accurate information, we cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will not occur. The author will not be held responsible for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any information within these pages or any information accessed through this site.

Real Estate Prices in the Bay Area
Relative home prices in the Bay area range from low to high. Here are the most recent prices in the various areas within the Bay area.

5 Ways To SuperSize Your Life
McDonald's does it, why shouldn't you? Life is filled with choices; why not choose to live life in a more satisfying way.

Are You Fully Benefiting From Your Golf Swing Training Videos
The golf swing is so central and so important to the game of golf that any improvement tips and especially golf swing training videos are greatly desired and va...

An Introduction to Google Sitemaps
Achieving a high ranking on Google is not obvious anymore these days and is caused by the 'Google Sandbox', a filter to restrict spam among the search results. ...

Stress In The Workplace
Stress in the workplace is becoming a major concern for employers, managers and government agencies. One of the costs, for employers, of work place stress is a...

Increase Your Tourism Web Traffic & Sales – Guaranteed
Web sites are a major part of the tourism marketing strategy used by successful international tourism promoters. This how-to article will share the top secrets...

Men & Gastric Bypass Surgery: Is There a Social Stigma?
Why are so few men having gastric bypass weight loss surgery? It's been my experience that obese men, like obese women, are ashamed of being fat, ashamed of fai...

Outdoor Decks - Understanding Seven Elements of Good Deck Design
As an extension of your home, a deck can provide an attractive outdoor area that you can enjoy every time the weather allows. Whether just hanging out and loun...

Where the Jobs Are - Q3, 2005
Another quarter has gone by and it's time once again to take a look at the programming job market and see where the jobs are.

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing an Affiliate Program
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing an Affiliate Program - Affiliate Marketing Secrets to Success

How To Be An Internet Marketing Champion
How bad do you want to make money on the internet? You know thousands of people are doing it and maybe you've had a little success. But do you really want your ...

Before You Do An Internet Business Start Up - Answer These 4 Questions
Raise you chances of success online to 90+%. Answer these questions for an Internet business start up plan...

Security - a Road Filled with Obstacles!
With security risks inside the corporate IT systems today growing larger companies need to focus on risk managment planning. Several steps can be taken to impr...

FHA Mortgage: When Your Downpayment is a Gift
It has been proven statistically that homeowners with zero funds in the transaction are more likely to default on the loan and suffer foreclosure. An FHA transa...

Improving Your Spiritual Life (for Christians)
If you're reading this, you probably want to improve your spiritual life. If you're like many of the people I've talked to you've probably been spoon fed cliché...

Parents — The No Child Left Behind Law Wont Do Much For Your Child
The No Child Left Behind Law adds more government controls over our children's education. Unfortunately, government is not the solution to better education for ...

What if a Stock Does Not Pan Out?
Increase your chances of making great plays by just keeping track of the older recommendations. More times than not they will turn into winning plays, they just...

Take the Direct Route to Internet Gurudom
Now, there's a way to instantly reach scads of appreciative readers who can't wait to put your content on their "categorically-correct" websites!

Marketing Your Website
Advice on how best to market your website.

Weights Before Cardio: Stop Working Against Yourself
Are you doing your cardio before you weight train? Learn why you may be making the gym's most common mistake...

The Secret to Achieving Maximum Productivity
We all have the same twenty four hours. How is it that some persons get more done in that period of time than most people might in a whole week? Some people do ...

Managing Credit Cards Effectively
Credit cards are almost a necessity in today's society. It has become harder and harder to get through life without plastic. If you want to make purchases ove...

Anyone Awake Out There?
"First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people" is not simply an extremist slogan, but is a strategy of war having two pincher-prongs, and we just witnessed...

How to Increase the Chances a Prospect Contacts You by 50%
Studies show that a potential client is 50% more likely to contact a business who has a toll-free number. Marketing via the internet draws potential clients fr...