2010 August | Denver Metro Agents

How to Select a Real Estate Agent

If you are planning to buy or to sell a home, it is in your best interest to hire a real estate agent to represent you throughout the entire process. Not only can a real estate agent help simplify the process, which can help to save a significant amount of time, but an agent will also work on your behalf to help you get the best deal possible. Of course, in order to get the results you are after, you need to make certain to hire the best real estate agent possible. To that end, here are a few questions you should ask when selecting a real estate agent.

How Much Experience Do You Have With this Particular Market?

When you meet with potential real estate agents, you should first ask them how much experience they have with the particular market you are interested in. Whether you are buying or selling, a real estate agent with experience working in a particular neighborhood will be more likely to have the connections necessary for a smooth transaction.

What Type of Credentials Do You Have?

A real estate agent who is dedicated to learning more about the industry will be more likely to provide you with a professional and reliable service. Therefore, you should be sure to ask about the type of education and training the real estate agent has completed as well as any recent training or workshops he or she has attended.

What is Your Success Rate?

When hiring an agent to sell your home, you want to find someone who has a high success rate with selling homes at or near the price that was originally being asked. When hiring an agent to help buy a home, you want to know more about how long it took the agent to close on a deal on the behalf of other buyers. Be sure to ask potential agents to tell you more about the successes they have had with their clients.

What Organizations Do You Belong to?

There are many professional organizations to which a real estate agent may belong. One organization, which could also be considered a credential, is to be a certified REALTOR(R). In order to become a REALTOR(R), an agent must adhere to certain standards of conduct and must be committed to taking advantage of ongoing educational opportunities. By hiring someone who is a REALTOR(R) or who is involved in other professional organizations, you can be relatively certain that person is committed to the industry and has the knowledge it takes to get the job done on your behalf.

What Type of Marketing Strategies Do You Use?

Finally, you should be sure to ask potential real estate agents to describe the types of marketing strategies they plan to use. An effective agent will utilize a number of different strategies, including taking advantage of modern technology by marketing your home on the Internet. Therefore, if you are looking for an agent to help you sell your home, be sure to find someone who is willing to market it in a variety of different ways.

About the Author: Brian Kinkade is a broker and team lead with Brokers Guild – Cherry Creek Ltd, one of Denver’s fastest growing full service Denver real estate firm. Brian’s team of Internet savvy agents service the Denver Metro area while specializing in Denver luxury homes and Denver luxury foreclosures.

Buying Agent Versus Selling Agent

If you are interested in purchasing or selling a home, it is important to understand the differences between the various types of real estate agents that are available for hire. By having a greater understanding of the different types of agents and the roles that they play in the transaction process, you will increase the likelihood of enjoying a positive experience when purchasing a home.

Selling Agent

One type of real estate agent is the selling agent. As the title implies, a selling agent specializes in selling homes. Therefore, if you are planning to sell a home, you will want to hire a selling agent to represent you throughout the process. Not only will the selling agent have the knowledge and expertise that is necessary to get your home sold as quickly as possible, but he or she will also be responsible for representing you throughout the entire negotiation and transaction process.
Although the selling agent must still abide by all of the real estate laws that have been set forth in your state and locality, having someone who specifically represents you throughout the process can be highly beneficial. This is because the selling agent is required to negotiate deals on your behalf, which means he or she cannot share information with the buyer unless it is required by law. Namely, if you are willing to accept a lower price, the selling agent cannot share this information with the buyer because it could potentially result in a much lower selling price than what you could have received.

Buying Agent

Just as the selling agent is responsible for representing the seller, the buying agent represents the person who is buying the home. When you hire a buying agent, he or she is being hired to show homes to you that may or may not be getting sold through the brokerage for which he or she works. In addition, when it comes to negotiations, the buying agent represents you exclusively through the process. Just as with the selling agent, the buying agent cannot share certain information with the seller unless required by law. Therefore, with a buying agent by your side, you are more likely to find the home you are looking for more quickly while also negotiating the lowest price possible.
When contacting a real estate agent to help with buying or selling your home, you should be certain to find out if that agent is representing you or the other party. In this way, you can be certain you are clear on where you stand and you will have the opportunity to hire someone to represent you if necessary.

About the Author: Brian Kinkade is a broker and team lead with Brokers Guild – Cherry Creek Ltd, one of Denver’s fastest growing full service Denver real estate firms. Brian’s team of Internet savvy agents specialize in Denver luxury homes, International property sales, and Denver luxury short sales. Visit their advanced real estate website today to search for homes, gather local information, and learn about Denver neighborhoods. Brian and his team are ready to assist with your home purchase, property sale or Colorado relocation needs.