Most people start their home buying search by looking at sites such as Realtor.com, Zillow or Trulia. That’s completely fine and understandable, but really, the next step to buying a home should be to hire a Realtor to represent you.
Searching online on your own takes a LOT of time, and you can get lost in the abundance of information being thrown at you. A Realtor can create automatic search via the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), and will be able to decipher and explain the details of each listing.
Our team at RealtySourceLI utilize a unique home search platform called COLLABORATE to create one of the smoothest search experiences in the industry. How would you like to be notified IMMEDIATELY, via text and/or email, the moment a property that meets your criteria comes on the market!? In a market, like Long Island, where great properties sell in a matter of days, it can be an enormous advantage to be able to get in and to see a property as quickly as possible.
So, how do you find and pick a Realtor?
Well, hopefully you’ll contact our team at (631) 977-7042 or kkelly@realtyconnectusa.com so we can meet in person, and see if we would be a good fit together. Remember, not all Realtors are right for all people. It is important to find someone who is not only great at his or her job, but someone you feel you know, luck and trust enough to guide you over the speedbumps of the transaction and to the closing table.
First, you need to determine if the agent has the experience, customer service ability and understanding of the market that you’re looking to purchase in. Start out by noticing how quickly the Realtor responds to your initial phone call or email. If the Realtor doesn’t get back to you within a maximum of 24 hours, that’s a bad sign. This business moves fast and deals can be lost if your Realtor doesn’t respond quickly on your behalf during negotiations.
Second, interview the Realtor by asking them very specific questions. Click here to read a post with our recommended interview questions.
Then check out our responses so you can see how the Realtor you're interviewing stacks up!
Third, expect to sign a buyer representation agreement. Legally, this is the best way to ensure you are receiving the services of the agent as their client, not just a customer. Remember from the article "5 Secrets Every Home Buyer Should Know", that an agent is always representing the interests of the seller, unless hired to exclusively represent the buyer.
