3 Tips for Finding the Right Realtor
Spring is here, and the home buying season has just begun! If you’re looking for help finding your dream home, working with a real estate agent comes with many benefits. Not only can they help you better understand the home buying and selling processes, but they can also help you save money in a number of ways!
Realtors can help you negotiate prices and sales contract terms, show you features and faults of potential properties that you may not have seen otherwise and put you in touch with local industry experts and service providers that can help simplify your journey to homeownership. They can help you narrow down your search for your dream home, find things that fit in your price range and work with you to create a plan that is tailored to your needs and lifestyle.
Before you look for a real estate agent, make sure you work with us to get pre-approved! There are a number of benefits to getting a pre-approval, and most importantly, it shows both real estate agents and sellers that you’re a serious and qualified buyer. Acquiring a mortgage loan pre-approval allows you to know how much you’re eligible to borrow and better helps your team of financial professionals to find the perfect home for you. Pre-approvals also give you more time to spend looking at the right homes, increase your bargaining and negotiating power, and can lead to a faster closing period. The bottom line is, if you’re eager to move into the perfect house, getting pre-approved will help you get there faster.
Now that you’re pre-approved, it’s time to find a real estate agent that can assist you on your home buying journey! At Ross Mortgage, our loan officers are in touch with some of the best real estate agents in the region, so we reached out to a few of our contacts to see what they had to say about finding the right real estate agent in the area.
“Locate an agent that is familiar with your community, works in the area you are looking to buy in and who has enough experience to guide you through the entire purchase process. Because the process can be lengthy, I also recommend working with an agent who makes you feel comfortable and matches your personality. Always ask questions and make sure the agent is knowledgeable, has good communication skills and is willing to accommodate your work and family schedule in the home search process.” – Jeffery Dawley, Atlas Real Estate
“Make sure your agent is more interested in serving their client than getting a sale. The home buying process should be all about you, your wants and needs! The agent is there to serve you, assist you and answer any questions you have along the way. To ensure you find an agent that is helpful, friendly and attentive, using referrals from friends and family is a great place to start. You can find resources, hear advice and learn more about the process from people you trust.” – Lorrie Fiteny, Sandora & Fiteny Real Estate
“Take the time to meet with the Realtor for a new client orientation or a Realtor interview. I ask all new clients to meet with me for 30-45 minutes so we can go over the process of buying a home, I can get to know the client’s needs and we can chat through any initial questions they have. If an agent asks to meet with you, take them up on it! It is important that you like, get along with and trust the person you will be working with. You will be spending a considerable amount of time with them on what could be the largest purchase of your life.” – Claire Kona, Gilson Home Group
Ready to take the next step in your homeownership journey? Send us a message, and we’ll connect you with a member of our lending team who can help. Ready for a pre-approval? Use our quick and easy online application!
