What to Look For In A Real Estate Agent

Ensure they are actually licensed and are a REALTOR®.  
As a potential buyer or seller, you need to understand exactly what it means to be a REALTOR®.  There is a big difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR®.  A real estate agent is a licensed person who acts as an agent in the purchase or sale of land, buildings, houses or other property.  A REALTOR acts as a real estate agent but also must subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics that is delineated and enforced by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. This is something we at The Ken Adams Real Estate Team do not take lightly! Everyone has heard horror stories about shady real estate agents and I want to make sure that you don’t become the protagonist in one of those stories. 
Once you have confirmed that the agent is licensed and a REALTOR®, you can more specifically look at their qualifications.  Before we go any further, know that it is not always easy to figure these things out in a short period of time, and most of the time not after a single meeting.  The bottom line is that you need to trust your gut! If you don’t feel right in the beginning, you will probably only feel worse three weeks or three months down the road. 
Before you commit to any one agent, or sign any type of contract, make sure that they are willing to rip up that contract if at any point things aren’t working out, you aren’t happy with the relationship, or your interests are not being served.  This is important to us at the Ken Adams Real Estate Team,  as we never want you to feel like you’re stuck in a contract. A good REALTOR® knows that a great portion of our business comes from referrals so they will likely want to ensure that you understand that subsequent business is more important than tying you to a contract that you no longer want to be a part of.  Now, this does not make it okay to allow your realtor to spend a ton of money on marketing your property or spend hours upon hours showing you thousands of houses just so you can jump ship.  I am not advocating that at all, because as much as we want to ensure that our clients are satisfied, we also have bills to pay.  You simply need to keep the lines of communication open! 
Okay, so now you know they are actually a REALTOR®, what specific qualities should you look for?

You want someone who is trustworthy and honest.
This is listed first because I think it is the most important thing you should look for in a REALTOR®. You should be looking for someone you can trust first and foremost.  If they make a mistake (we all do!), you want to know they will be honest with you about it.  You also want to feel comfortable talking to them about what is most important to you and what your goals are so they can help you pursue those goals. 

You need someone who will be transparent, always.
You need to be in the know and up to speed on what is going on with your home or your home search.  What are people saying about your house?  How are the schools in this area? Is the neighborhood safe? These are all legitimate concerns and they require an honest answer, no matter what commission is on the line. 

You need them to be responsive and available. 
It does not really matter how good your REALTOR® is if they are not available to you.  Whether you are buying, selling or renting, you will have a lot of questions that you need answered and a lot of paperwork you will need help filling out. If you can’t get in touch with your REALTOR® in a reasonable amount of time, you will be left irritated and frustrated. Furthermore, even if they are available, they also need to be able to communicate effectively and ensure that both parties are understood. 

They need to have a great working knowledge of the real estate industry.
This goes far beyond what most people will ever understand.  A good REALTOR® knows the process to buy and sell real estate, and understands that there are creative ways to purchase and sell.  They also know that every neighborhood, and  sometimes every street is its own market.  They know how to assess markets can advise appropriately. Without this knowledge, a solid contract can easily fall apart with a lot of time and money wasted.

You want someone that has quality negotiation skills. 
If you find someone who meets all of the above requirements but can’t negotiate, you may find yourself wasting a lot of time.  Most people do not know that there are multiple negotiation periods during any real estate transaction. First, selling price is negotiated.  Then, there is a negotiation after inspections are completed.  Sometimes, there are even further negotiations that occur after an appraisal is completed.  I have personally seen deals completely fall apart, the night before closing, because an agent cannot, or will not, negotiate on behalf of their client.  You do not want to be in this situation, trust me! 

Hopefully you are not feeling even more overwhelmed about the process of finding a REALTOR®.  You should feel at ease knowing that there are lots of  Realtors ® out there ready, willing and able to help you find whatever you are looking for in your real estate journey.  Our Team of Professionals are always ready to serve you! 

We are connected to agents all over the country and can set you up with a quality, proven agent that meets all of this criteria!!