Home sellers are acutely aware that they have to be very careful when choosing a listing agent, but quite often buyers stumble into the agent that they wind up using, either from attending an open house or calling about a sign or an ad. This poses a real problem because a bad buyer’s agent can cost you thousands of dollars and potentially keep you from getting the house you want.
So here is my list of the top 7 questions you need to ask before choosing a buyers agent. Of course, if you are looking for a home in the Seattle area, I would hope that you give me a call at 425-773-3149 and give me an opportunity to answer these questions in person!
Top 7 Questions to Ask a Buyers Agent
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Buyers Agent Question #1 |
Do you work full-time or part-time as a real estate agent? |
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Buyers Agent Question #2 |
Will you handle all aspects of my transaction or will you delegate some tasks to a sales associate or administrative assistant? Busy agents will use assistants to handle the routine work, but be sure that you won’t just get handled off to a lackey to take care of you. |
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Buyers Agent Question #3 |
How many years of experience do you have? I suggest choosing an agent that is neither new in the business or that has ‘been around forever’. The market is constantly changing and veteran agents can sometimes slack off and stop keeping up with the cutting edge. |
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Buyers Agent Question #4 |
Are you familiar with loans, and different lending products? Your agent should at the least understand the loan that you are planning to use and be able to advise you if you are getting a good rate or are being overcharged by your loan officer. |
| Buyers Agent Question #5 |
Do you attend all your closings in person? It is always a good idea to have your agent there at closing to review all the documents, and to catch an errors that could (and do) happen. |
| Buyers Agent Question #6 |
What is your policy for returning calls and emails? One of the top problems people have with real estate agents is that they are horrible about being in touch with their clients. |
| Buyers Agent Question #7 |
How good of a negotiator are you? Having an agent that is experienced in negotiating for the best price and terms when you are purchasing a home can save you thousands. |
What you need to be aware of is that there are a lot of agents out there with fancy designations and lots of flash. This to me is of less importance than choosing an agent that you feel will be honest with you and work hard to help you get into your new home.
The whole point, is to be sure to talk to at least a few agents before choosing one to work with. Blindly choosing a buyers agent can be a huge mistake!
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