|
|
|
As mentioned in the last article, it's important to pick a Realtor that is qualified and has the 
experience to help you make your home purchase an enjoyable experience.
The sad truth of the matter is that far too many people gravitate towards the real estate field because they think that it's an easy way to make a buck. The licensing requirement in most states are pretty lax. In Missouri you have to go to school for 60 hours of class room instruction and be able to pass a test. Some real estate schools offer an accelerated program where you can get the classroom time done in as little as 2 weeks!
Think about this, the person who is going to be handling one of your latest investments might have only gone to school for 2 weeks! Would you let an attorney represent you who had only gone to school for that length of time? The hair dresser who cuts your hair went to school for 6 months!
That said, there are still a lot of good, qualified agents out there who can help your home buying adventure go smoothly and who, if in the event that something goes wrong, have the experience to help you through the difficulty. The trick is how to find that agent!
There are a number of ways to find a good real estate agent, but the best is probably to have one referred to you by somebody who has worked with that person in the past. So, ask around. When you do, ask the person doing the referring if they actually worked with that person before or knew somebody who did. You don't want somebody referring somebody to you just because they are related or are drinking buddies.
You also don't want to assume that just because a real estate company is the biggest in town or has a lot of yard signs about that the agent who happens to pick up the phone will be a good one. The particular agent is what is important, mares than their company affiliation.
Another thing that I think is a bunch of hooey, is having an alphabet behind your name. While I'm a big supporter of continuing education I also think that way too many agents who spend way too much time flying off to take classes for particular designations. For the most part, I think that these things are a joke. You pay $300 or $400, sometimes more, to sit through a class for a couple of hours before heading out to hit the golf course.
I'm not saying that you can't learn something from these classes, but I've sat through a few and in my opinion the biggest thing that an agent gets from completing them is to say that they completed them. Some of the best agents that I know have never taken any of these classes and some of the biggest nimrod agents that I know have several sets of initials behind their name. Don't hold it against them, but interview them just the same.
The most important characteristic that an agent must possess is for you to feel comfortable with them. Do they seem like they know what they are talking about? Do they seem to care about you and your needs? Have they had the experience to be able to help me out of a jam in I find myself in one? Do they have a track record and reference to prove it?
Once you've picked that Realtor establish the terms of your agreement. Are you going to engage that Realtor as your exclusive Buyer's Agent? What happens if you find a FSBO that you want to take a look at? How long is your agreement going to be for? What happens if I'm not happy with the service that I receive? Don't be afraid to be forthright and ask these questions. It's far better to have everything out in the open so that there are no surprises down the road.
ValueList Real Estate Services offers full-service buyer's agency and in doing such will 
represent you in the very best way that we know how. We will keep YOUR interests at heart and will do our best to keep the lines of communication open so that you have a smooth and enjoyable home purchase. And don't forget, since ValueList Real Estate Services is the only full-service discount real estate and mortgage company in the St. Louis real estate market, we can handle your transaction seamlessly from the beginning to the end. ValueList is a ONE-STOP-SHOP!
Click Here To Return To Buyer's Information And Tools
Click Here To Return To Main Page
Click Here To Return To Top Of The Page