Choose Your Real Estate Agent Wisely!!
Whether it is a piece of land, an apartment, a flat, or any other kind of property, unless you personally know the seller, you need a real estate agent. Choosing a real estate agent can sometimes be the trickiest part of a real estate investment. There are so many aspect to this choice. How about instead of breaking our minds over it, we break the process down? Here is how we recommend you go about it.
1. Use your connections: Ask your friends, family, and extended connections if they have ever made a real estate deal. If yes, is it possible for you to get the details of that real estate agent who facilitated that deal? Get their feedback, were they comfortable dealing through this person, or were there any feelings of discomfort? Personal and honest recommendations are sometimes the best way of finding a reliable support system.
2. Figure out what you want and need in your real estate agent: Are you an educated person with good know-how of the real estate world? Do you just need a trustworthy person to facilitate a deal without making the process too cumbersome? Then that’s what you should be looking for. Are you completely new to the world of real estate? Then find a person who will give you all the details from the very start, and make sure you are included in all the decisions, from the smallest to the biggest. It is your money, be in charge of it.
3. Be aware of things that you definitely do not want in your real estate agent: Check their qualifications. Are they just doing this with no knowledge? What makes them qualified? Find somebody who understands that you are in charge, and your needs come first in this process. If they display sings of unscrupulous behaviour, walk out fast. Somebody who is not afraid to cheat other people in front of you, will also not be afraid of cheating you.
4. Background check!: This is the most important part of this process. Whether you came to this person through a friend or not, ask the prospective agent if you can get contact information of his previous clients. Contact them, meet them. Get their feedback. Check the criminal records of this person. If at any time during the process you find yourself troubled by the claims of this agent, check, double check, triple check. After all, this is the person who would be helping you check the backgrounds of the seller and other people involved. If you can’t trust him/her to begin with, then you might as well not do this.
Well, that’s the best basic advice that we can give you. Good luck, and may you find the best real estate agent possible. Keep watching this space for more information, and you can write to us for further information.
