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Hey thanks for reading this. Great question!
There isn’t a single answer to this question so I will do my best to get to the point and cover the most important aspects in hiring a realtor. If you’re the type, grab a pen and pad to take some notes. We’re going to find out what is important – to You.
Time
The first question you should ask when interviewing agents is, “How long have you been doing this?” Speaking from experience, agents don’t know what they’re doing for the first couple of years – which is why we have managing brokers reviewing our contracts. Still, there is something missing when you’re dealing with a beginner vs a pro. The confidence of someone who is experienced will rub off on you. They will make you feel more confident about the deal which means LESS stress. Also, experienced agents have seen it all. There are few things that surprise me at this point (I’ve been doing real estate related work for over a decade).
Attitude
Do you like the person you just interviewed? Beyond being good or bad, do you like this person? The reason I ask this is you will probably be spending A LOT of time talking with one another in the current market. It takes buyers longer to find houses and sellers longer to sell them. Moreover, these might be difficult conversations. I’d love to tell you that buying and selling houses is easy – it isn’t. It’s an emotionally exhausting process. Therefore, have these conversations with someone you like talking to instead of looking at your phone when they call, looking at your partner, and saying, “Oh God, it’s them.”
Professionalism
Does the agent you are speaking with present well or not? What I mean by this is how they dress, how they talk, how they carry themselves, what their social media looks like. All of this is called “Brand.” Is what you are seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, match or does something seem off?
For example, you meet a hotshot realtor. They drive a nice German car, their clothes are expensive, they have the $1,000 haircut – but they smell like they slept on the floor of a bar. Pay attention to things like this. I like to say, “Trust your gut.” Our brains are taking in more information than we can comprehend – literally. Our “gut” is our body giving us feedback that is nonverbal. It is ancient, it is there for a reason, listen to it. It kept your ancestors alive long enough for you to be here, it’ll get you through buying and selling real property.
Digital
I touched on this in the last section and allow me to elaborate. Check their entire digital footprint. What does this mean? Check their social media: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube etc. Do this because it will help you get a read on if you should hire the realtor. This is information and content that they are CHOOSING to put out there. Is it good, bad, ugly? You will learn a lot about a person doing this. The thing I would look for is professionalism vs not. If they just post jokes all the time or them drinking $200 bottles of wine, they might not take their job that seriously.
The other side of the coin in digital is search. When you Google someone, you will often find what OTHER people have to say about them. If I may get personal for a second? There are a couple of agents that I loathe. They are terrible AND do a lot of business. I feel sorry for their clients, they are NOT being taken care of. However, if you check out their Zillow or Google reviews, they are disabled. These specific agents I am thinking about have upset their clients so badly that they took the time to go on review sites and let them have it.
⭐️ Read the reviews ⭐️
Communication
How do you like to be talked to? What are your preferred methods of contact? For example, I prefer text for quick communication such as, “Can we see 123 Salisbury Lane?” Likewise for complicated topics such as the steps in reviewing or making an offer, that’s going to be a phone call or a face to face meeting. It can also be done with an email.
What I am getting at is find a real estate agent who will communicate the way You like. I know a lot of people who cannot stand text. If that’s the case, talk it over with any agent you may hire and ensure you are on the same level. If not, you will be annoyed throughout the entire process.
Compensation
Said another way, how do agents get paid? Generally speaking, sellers pay the agents, both sides. What this means for buyers is, Always hire an agent to negotiate on your behalf. It doesn’t cost you anything (usually) and a great agent is worth their weight in gold. If you have been paying attention to the news, there are reports on how the “real estate industry is being turned on its head.” It’s not. You can read more about it here and I strongly encourage you to do so.
Sellers, you will also get your own article here. However, here is a quick explainer.
I recommend focusing on how much money you will net or, how much you make after expenses. This is the most important conversation to have when interviewing agents. Why? While a little hyperbolic, this conversation will allow you to know if an agent knows what they are talking about. Seriously, try it. It will mess them up.
Now we could talk about commissions that are 2.5% vs 3% vs Redfin’s 1% which is really 5%…
But let’s not do that to ourselves now. The bottom line is YOUR bottom line. How much money are you going to walk away with? Figure out that number and it will take care of most of this.
Negotiations
If I may have your permission to be blunt?
For this section, there are three kinds of agents:
- Good
- Greedy
- Wimps
Good
A good agent will negotiate on your behalf. Firstly, they will find out what is important to you. What •really• matters. When you’re going back and forth with an inspection response, it can be stressful for the clients as well as the real estate agent. You need someone who has a clear head and keep track of everything. They will calm you down if you need it and they will blow up a deal of that’s what you want. For example, I worked as an acquisition specialist. Negotiations are routine now. I don’t get emotional over them. A great real estate agent will do this AND have your back at the same time.
Greedy
Greedy agents on the other hand will not. People like this deserve their own series of articles but I will keep it simple. A greedy agent only cares about their payday. They will do, say, or be anything to get that paycheck. “Pushy” is a good word for real estate brokers. “Car salesperson” is a better one. (Unless you’re in auto sales and want to hire me. Love you guys! 😘)
Here’s an example of what this may look like:
You need an additional $10,000 to make the deal work for you, buying or selling. An offer comes in that doesn’t work and they tell you, “Don’t worry…We can handle this during the inspection. Let’s just get them under contract!” You enter a mutual acceptance and it doesn’t work. The other side isn’t willing to give you that extra $10,000 you •need• to make this work.
You explain this to your agent over and over and they don’t listen. They talk about anything other than the money and try to push or manipulate you into moving forward with the deal.
“Won’t you feel so much better when this is over?”
“Image what it will be like when you are in your new home – you won’t care about that $10,000!”
These are the kinds of things they say, trust me, I’ve heard it.
You tell them that this is a deal breaker and they won’t advocate on your behalf because they just want a paycheck. These are the kinds of people I am warning you about. It’s a little abstract however you’ll feel it in your gut. They will feel just a little too “sales-y.”
Wimps
Good Lord these poor souls. A wimp will not tell you the truth, the other agent the truth, anyone the truth. Not because they are bad people. They just don’t want anyone to get upset. These are people pleasers who fall apart durning inspection responses. Their greatest fear is rejection so sticking their heads in the sand is the easiest way to deal with problems.
In Conclusion
There are a lot of things when looking to hire a real estate agent. This isn’t an exhaustive list however I think it’s a good start. Is there anything you think I missed? Comment or shoot me a message. I’d be happy to update this article. Further, if you’re looking for a great agent, let’s talk.
Best,
Jacob
