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When buying a home, the questions you ask your realtor are crucial. Your realtor is assisting you with an important financial matter, so you need to be sure that the decisions are in your best interest. The following are ten questions you should be asking as you are working with a realtor or before you hire them to assist you (and you're sure to come up with more questions as you move along in the process).
Questions You Have to Ask
- How long have you been selling homes? – While many newer realtors will be just as proficient at selling homes as their more experienced counterparts, you may want to look for those that have been selling for a longer time as they tend to move more quickly and can help you focus your efforts in a more efficient manner.
- How can I get in contact with you? – Find a realtor that can be reached in a number of ways in case you have questions or concerns – email, phone, cell phone, office, fax, etc. Since realtors are often running from place to place, you need to be able to get in touch with them when it's necessary.
- Is this all that you do for your job or are you splitting your time with other employment? – Choose realtors that are devoted completely to real estate as they tend to have a better understanding of what you will need from them. Those that only do real estate part time might not have the best idea of what the market is like and how conditions will effect your search.
- Are you going to represent me or the seller? – Make sure you are looking for a realtor that is going to represent you in order to get the best insight into the process. When you look at realtors that represent sellers, they may tend to push you in certain directions instead of listening to your needs.
- What are the costs that are entailed? – Be sure to get any quoted prices in writing before you begin working with a realtor. This will help to ensure you are only paying for what you agreed to in the process, rather than having to pay fees that you do not recognize after the sale is done.
- How long does it usually take to find a home for a client? – Finding out the answer to this question is often a good way to determine the efficiency of the realtor. While some clients are picky and require more of the realtor's time, a good realtor should be able to listen to your needs and then match you quickly with a good fit.
- Will you be showing me listings from other companies or just yours? – Again, this is a question that will show you how objective they will be with your real estate needs. You should be able to see a wide range of properties that fit your specifications.
- Do you have online resources where I can look for homes? – When you're constantly on the go, it helps to have online realtor listings that you can access. This will help you point out potential homes to your realtor that you wish to buy and save them time looking for you.
- When are you available to show homes? – Your schedules are going to have to mesh in order to see the homes you want when you have the time.
- Is your performance guaranteed? – You want to look for a realtor who will guarantee that they can find you a home. If not, you should not have to pay for their services or you should receive a discount on other services.
Additional First Time Home Buyers Resources
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Craig Elliott is a writer for ShopRate.com. ShopRate.com is a leading provider of Mortgage Rates. This article has been edited for clarity and to correct grammatical errors.
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