Here are some tips on how to select your realtor.
The first is to read reviews from past clients. Zillow, Trulia and Google are platforms that are most regularly used when clients post reviews, and agents with few or no reviews can be a red flag as it may indicate the agent is new to real estate or has not had many clients. It’s normal in any industry for there to be a few bad reviews; the main thing to check is that negative reviews are not a pattern.
The second tip is to determine if the agent is full time or part time. The Austin area has about 19,000 realtors, and it’s important to work with a full time realtor to ensure you’re working with someone that has substantial experience to guide you. Zillow shows quite a bit of agents’ sales activity, and if an agent is closing at least 12 sales during the past year, the agent is likely full time.
Similar to verifying an agent is full time, it’s important their experience is recent as the real estate market is constantly changing. Zillow and Trulia again offer data reflecting a great deal of an agent’s recent transaction history. You can also look up an agent’s real estate license number to see how long they have been a licensed agent. To feel confident you’re working with an agent that has their finger on the pulse of the market, an agent with at least 2 years of experience and closing at least one property per month typically indicates an agent is knowledgeable on the market.
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