How to Buy a House – Finding Your Realtor

Find Your Realtor

Finding a Realtor can be easy or it can be hard. There are many questions that come to mind when hiring someone to assist you in what may be the largest financial transaction of your life. I have seen people take longer to choose a sofa than choosing a Realtor!

Do your homework. Ask your friends and family because they are going to tell you their experiences even if you don’t ask…so get that out of the way. HOWEVER when finding your Realtor make your own choice. I once had a friend say to me, “Robin, I am using a Realtor that I don’t know personally. Because if I want to be a brat I don’t want it to reflect on our friendship.” I TOTALLY respect that! You, as a buyer need to find a Realtor you can be totally honest and completely transparent with. This is important stuff.

What should you look for?

Experience and enthusiasm! Often enthusiasm will out rank experience. How many properties have they sold? If they are a newer agent ask what sort of support team do they have to ensure all questions and concerns are addressed. We were all new at our jobs at one point in time; this doesn’t mean we were bad at it…just that we needed assistance at times. Just make sure they have it.

Have a consultation meeting with each prospective Realtor to make sure you are on the same page and you LIKE them! They should give you at least 2 forms to sign an Information About Business Services (IABS) and a Buyer Tenant Representation Agreement. The first is required by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) and discloses Realtor Agency Representation and the second is the agreement between you and the Broker that the agent will have a fiduciary duty to represent you, the buyer, in the transaction. Without this the broker/agent represents the seller by default.

Find your realtor that is personable, knowledgeable, easy to get along with, detail oriented, organized, experienced, Readily available

Some Questions to Ask When Finding a Realtor

  • Why did you become a real estate agent?
  • Why should I work with you?
  • What do you do better than other real estate agents?
  • What process will you use to help me find the right home for my particular wants and needs?
  • What are the most common things that go wrong in a transaction and how would you handle them?
  • What are some mistakes that you think people make when buying their first home?
  • What other professionals do you suggest we work with and what are their credentials?
  • Can you provide me with references or testimonials from past clients?

Past Posts

Published by Living In DFW

I guess you can take the girl out of Texas but you can't take Texas out of the girl. I was born here in Dallas and moved away at age 8. After 30 years of moving around the United States, as a child with the family and as an adult without them, I finally found myself back in Dallas. Since I returned in 2001 I have sold furniture for Crate&Barrel and Real Estate with Keller Williams. It is my hope to share with you what I love, question, and find interesting here in DFW.

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: