Choosing your realtor
A good realtor,can be immensely helpful in getting you that dream home.
Realtors have us-ually been held in distrust and over the ye-ars have acquired a lot of bad publicity. We must realise that there are good realtors too,and when we do find them,we can minimise issues when finding a house. Rather than tar everyone with the same brush,we should know how to separate the honest realtors from the unscrupulous ones.
House hunting is a serious business,and can take a long time to zero in on the location and the property that fits one’s description. The process often becomes faster,and easier,when a good agent assists you.
One should carry out thorough research before hiring a good realtor. One needs to be sure that the people we are dealing with,should keep our interests uppermost,and should be trustworthy. This is,however,easier said than done. The following steps can be useful:
Recommendations
Check with your relatives,friends and co-workers,and ask for their recommendations. They can refer an agent whom they trust,or have had a good experience dealing with. They might also know of someone who knows a great deal about real estate investment opportunities,or even a company that houses a small grouping of reputable realtors.
Performance check
Get a list of the top agents in the area and peruse it carefully. Check for their records,and try to locate a copy of the client satisfaction sheet,which would help in getting information on the potential real estate professionals and the manner in which they deal with customers.
Schedule interviews
Before you decide to hire a realtor,it is important to interview some of them first,to gain an impression about how they treat their customers,how do they conduct themselves,etc. Do ask them questions. You may ask them if they are associated/ affiliated with any organisation,companies etc.
Previous customers
Once you have selected a few real estate agents that you would wish to hire; find out about their past customers. Speak to these people about their experiences. Also,check for any recorded complaints about the agent to see what they are about. This will help you rate them accordingly.
These basic steps,if done correctly will help you eliminate the bad ones,and there will be a few shortlisted candidates,as in the case of an organisation’s hiring process. Once you are aware of the qualities/capabilities of these professionals,you will notice that it is rather simple to achieve the results.
Realtors know about different properties,and once you engage them,you will realise that it does not take much effort to locate a house matching your requirements.
Another reason why good agents should be considered is because they will typically be in a position to ensure that you get the very best deal,and in the process you will realise that it is the best price that you have got,which you cannot find anywhere else. Gradually,you would know about all the deals available and zero in on the correct one.
Author is MD,Bajaj Capital
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