You have a lot of options

According to the California Bureau of Real Estate, as of June 2017 there were 281,916 active realtors and 133,542 Brokers. Meaning you are going to come across a lot of agents, each with their own experience, specialty, and personality. You’ll find them at open houses, zillow, knocking on your door or at the mall. The problem then isn’t how will you find a realtor, it’s who is the best one for you.

This is a big decision

Buying a home is a major life decision. For most people, its the biggest purchase they will ever make. Choosing a realtor that is the perfect fit is not just a luxury, it’s an absolute need. To help make the process easier, below we outline the big 3 to find your perfect agent: Experience, Specialty, and Personality

How experienced are they?

An experienced realtor goes beyond how many years they have been in business, it has more to do with the impact they have left in those years. When seriously considering an agent, you want to start by talking to their most recent clients.

People who have already done business with your potential realtor will be a critical source of information. Simply ask the realtor to provide you with a list of houses they have sold in the past year, along with the contact information of their clients. Specifically, ask if anyone in their list of clients was “pleased or disappointed”. Hearing both sides will give you a well-rounded idea of who you might be working with.

Do they have the right specialty?

A realtor’s specialty will greatly determine just how much value they will bring to you as a buyer. If you are looking for the perfect beach home, but you are talking to a realtor who has only ever sold historic homes, you are talking to the wrong realtor. They may be able to find you a good home, but they will not be as well of a fit as someone who specializes in beach homes.

Does their personality match?

Now that you’ve found an experienced realtor who specializes in the type of home you want, you have to make sure their personality is a good fit for you. Having a realtor who is only focused on having you sign paperwork and moving along the process is going to be a completely different experience from having a realtor who genuinely cares about understanding your needs and motivations.

Where do I go from here?

Now that you have the Big 3, you’ll be able to easily find the perfect agent for you. Remember to give this step of the process a lot of thought and time. You are making a big decision after all, so it’s important to take it slow and find someone who is willing to walk you through the process. If you are a first time home buyer we would also recommend you take a look at our 6 Tips For First Time Homebuyers.

Special Thanks

We would like to thank our friend Jared Lawrence for helping us write this blog post. If you would like to learn more about him and his team, you can start by heading over to their website www.brianrichardhomes.com From there, be sure to follow him on Instagram to stay up to date with his journey and to see his beautiful photography. (CA BRE# 02024687, Richard Realty Groups CalBRE #01835781)

If you have any additional questions, we recommend you talk to our loan officer Carl Spiteri  (NMLS #286890) by scheduling an appointment online or calling him directly at (619) 544-6444