What Kind of Real Estate Agent Do You Want?

Finding a new home is an exciting experience! You’ve spent hours online, window shopping for homes, and daydreaming about how amazing it will be to live in your new space. However, before you can live the dream, another big decision needs to be made.

It’s time to select a real estate agent.

This decision will have a significant impact on the rest of your homebuying experience. Choose carefully. Not every real estate agent is skilled in representing buyers. Even fewer have earned their Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation. (It’s easy to search online for ABR® designees near you.)

Interviewing Agents

Take time to meet several buyer’s agents. Listen to how they describe their services and be ready to ask questions.

Let them know you’re meeting with other agents too, explaining that you understand the importance of having a solid partnership with your agent. You want to make this decision before searching for homes, so the buying process is as successful as possible for everyone involved.

Real estate agents want a rewarding partnership as much as you do. It’s always more enjoyable working for loyal and satisfied clients. Plus, you’re more likely to provide referrals that will help your agent’s business grow.

Three Different Styles

Before selecting agents to interview, consider your personality and what type of agent is most suitable. Here are three possibilities.

1. The Consummate Professional

Are you the kind of person who makes lists, prioritizes, and knows what you do and don’t want? Have you already decided where you will compromise and what’s non-negotiable?

If this is not your first rodeo, you may not need or want hand-holding. You may prefer to accomplish your purchase expeditiously, so you can begin the next phase of your life—living in your new home.

If this sounds like your style, then consider a “top producer”—a buyer’s agent with the experience and track record to find what you need quickly and efficiently, possibly supported by one or more assistants.

You may not want your agent to set up showings until they’ve identified five properties that meet all your requirements, viewed in one day. You are well-organized and want an agent with the same temperament. If so, let them know what you need.

2. The Expert Guide

Maybe you’re venturing into new territory and want someone who has lived in the area for many years. You’re interested in an agent who already has, or can get, answers to your long list of questions and can point you to the best resources for information and assistance. You want to feel educated and confident about decisions that include and extend beyond homes for sale.

If this is the kind of agent you want, select one who specializes in your needs. That may mean choosing someone who focuses their services on first-time buyers, or someone who specializes in retirees or empty-nesters, or someone who prefers to work only with condo buyers or lakefront properties.

Find the expertise you need to help you make the best purchase decision.

3. The Soft Touch

What if you need a little extra attention, don’t want to feel rushed, and don’t require specialized expertise?

If you are new to home buying and have no idea what the right decision might be, you may prefer working with an agent with fewer years under their belt. Why? Because they are more likely to welcome the opportunity to provide the extra attention you desire.

Helping you explore all your options before making a decision helps them gain additional on-the-job expertise. They may be more patient and willing to go the extra mile. Working with this type of agent could provide a more relaxing experience.

There are as many types of buyer’s agents as there are types of houses – perhaps more!

Choosing the right agent will make your home search more enjoyable. Regardless of which style feels right for you, rest assured that an Accredited Buyer’s Representative has specialized training and experience in understanding and meeting buyers’ needs.