Anonymous
07/14/2014 01:17
Subject: How to find a real estate agent?
I went to an open house in our targeted area. I observed how he ran his open house (polite, professional), how knowledgable, etc.
That is one of the benefits, for a real estate agent, to have an open house. You make connections with neighbors and your name will most likely get passed along.
That is one of the benefits, for a real estate agent, to have an open house. You make connections with neighbors and your name will most likely get passed along.
Anonymous
07/14/2014 01:05
Subject: How to find a real estate agent?
If you found a place on your own why would you even consider a full fee realtor? I would use redfin or i-agent
VArealtor
07/13/2014 23:34
Subject: How to find a real estate agent?
I just re-read your post, OP and noticed that you already picked a house.
I know this sounds odd but you can always ask the listing agent if they can recommend a buyer's agent to you and let them know that it is for the purpose of placing an offer.
I've received a few clients this way, and at the same time recommended others to trusted colleagues. If the agent suggests him/herself I'd advise against it.
I know this sounds odd but you can always ask the listing agent if they can recommend a buyer's agent to you and let them know that it is for the purpose of placing an offer.
I've received a few clients this way, and at the same time recommended others to trusted colleagues. If the agent suggests him/herself I'd advise against it.
VArealtor
07/13/2014 23:31
Subject: How to find a real estate agent?
Anonymous wrote:Our strategy: go to open houses in neighborhoods we like and talk to the agents. You'll get a sense of them pretty quickly and the fact that they have a listing in an area you like is at least a signal that they know the neighborhood.
I disagree with the suggestion to just Google "best realtor." We tried that but the "best realtors" tend to be high-volume folks who don't put in much work to earn their 3% and may outsource work to other agents or try to price you low (if selling) or high (if buying) to close quickly.
As you suggested, responsiveness is key. You want someone who you work well with, who notices things you don't, who won't pressure you to do things you're not ready for, and who will do real legwork to get you what you're looking for. Our agent, for example, drove around a neighborhood to find houses that met our specifications and sent letters to those owners to see if any would be willing to sell. Ultimately she found us a house before it went on the market and we were able to get it for below prevailing price.
This is a great suggestions, OP. Go to Open Houses and meet agents in your target neighborhoods in a very low-pressure atmosphere. Set-up a coffee with your top 2 (or 3) and pick based on your overall impressions, their responsiveness, knowledge, professionalism, and trustworthiness. Also, don't rely on just your friends for referrals. Ask around in your office.
Good luck!
Anonymous
07/13/2014 22:07
Subject: How to find a real estate agent?
Agree with PP. Go to open houses and talk to the realtor and ask a specific question about the house and see if they follow up. We were visiting a really old house and the realtor couldn't tell us if the pipes downstairs were lead, but two days later we got an email saying they were not. We asked a realtor at another house about a pile of rocks in the backyard but never heard back from that one.
Anonymous
07/13/2014 21:56
Subject: How to find a real estate agent?
Our strategy: go to open houses in neighborhoods we like and talk to the agents. You'll get a sense of them pretty quickly and the fact that they have a listing in an area you like is at least a signal that they know the neighborhood.
I disagree with the suggestion to just Google "best realtor." We tried that but the "best realtors" tend to be high-volume folks who don't put in much work to earn their 3% and may outsource work to other agents or try to price you low (if selling) or high (if buying) to close quickly.
As you suggested, responsiveness is key. You want someone who you work well with, who notices things you don't, who won't pressure you to do things you're not ready for, and who will do real legwork to get you what you're looking for. Our agent, for example, drove around a neighborhood to find houses that met our specifications and sent letters to those owners to see if any would be willing to sell. Ultimately she found us a house before it went on the market and we were able to get it for below prevailing price.
I disagree with the suggestion to just Google "best realtor." We tried that but the "best realtors" tend to be high-volume folks who don't put in much work to earn their 3% and may outsource work to other agents or try to price you low (if selling) or high (if buying) to close quickly.
As you suggested, responsiveness is key. You want someone who you work well with, who notices things you don't, who won't pressure you to do things you're not ready for, and who will do real legwork to get you what you're looking for. Our agent, for example, drove around a neighborhood to find houses that met our specifications and sent letters to those owners to see if any would be willing to sell. Ultimately she found us a house before it went on the market and we were able to get it for below prevailing price.
Anonymous
07/13/2014 21:24
Subject: Re:How to find a real estate agent?
Google something like best realtor DC. You can see who comes up there with good reviews and go with them. I know people who just did that and found out who won Best Realtor for City Paper this year and called that agency. They're very happy with their agent.
Anonymous
07/13/2014 21:19
Subject: How to find a real estate agent?
We are youngish and most people we know in DC rent. We have an agent that our friend recommended but we aren't really very impressed with his responsiveness. We'd like to find someone new but how do you pick without a personal referral? We found a place on our own that we'd like to put on offer on very soon...