Questions to Ask a Real Estate AgentYou already know that you should interview several real estate agents before finally choosing the one you would like to work with. However, the problem arises in knowing exactly what to ask the real estate agents that you interview. If you have never dealt with a real estate agent before, it's only natural that you would have little knowledge of what you are looking for. Question 1: What is the number of homes you have found for buyers within the past year? You want to know that the real estate agent has proven success in finding houses for other buyers. Ask for the addresses of some of the most recent houses as well as the selling price. This information will give you an idea of the type of clients the real estate agent works with as well as the amount of success he has had in the past. Question 2: What can you do to help me afford the home I want? Money is one of the biggest obstacles in the way of buyers getting the homes they would like. Real estate agents are well versed in the financial tools available to home buyers as well as special mortgage loan programs and mortgage brokers that are willing to work with you. You should also ask if there have been any tax and insurance changes in recent months. Question 3: Will you be representing the seller? While it a necessarily a must, it is in your best interest to choose a real estate agent that will only be representing you and your interests. Stay away from dual agents as much as possible because you will likely lose some of your negotiating power. Find out if you are the seller will be paying commission to the real estate agent. Question 4: Who are some of your past clients hat I can call as references? These references will be able to give you more information about their experience working with the real estate agent. You should definitely make these calls if you thinking about using that particular real estate agent. Ask the references for their satisfaction in working with the agent. Also find out if there was anything about the real estate agent's working style that they did not like. Having both the good and the bad will allow you to make a well informed decision. Question 5: How will we communicate? You need to know how and how often the real estate agent plans to communicate with you. Since there are so many different methods of communication, you need to know which one you should be paying the most attention to for updates from your real estate agent. You need to hear from your real estate agent at least once a week. In some instances daily communication is not necessary, but somewhere in between will be a happy medium for the two of you. Once you know the right questions to ask a real estate agent, it will be easier for you to interview them and make a decision on the best one for you. Click here to find Sarasota real estate
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