Find a Realtor
Most people start their home buying search by looking at sites such as Realtor.com, Zillow, or Trulia. That’s completely fine and understandable, but Step 1 to buying a home should be to hire a Realtor to represent you.
Searching online at these and other sites on your own takes a LOT of time. A Realtor can set you up with an automatic search via the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). This means each day—or if you prefer in real time—you’ll be emailed all new properties matching your criteria, plus those with price reductions that put a property in your budget. This is a HUGE time saver. And if we’re in a swift market like we’ve seen in certain price ranges where great properties sell in a matter of days, it can be an enormous advantage to be able to get in and see a property within a day of it hitting the market.
So, how do you find and pick a Realtor? Well, hopefully you’ll contact me at (405) 585-6580 or steve@soldonshawnee.com so we can meet in person to see if we’d be a good fit together.
Remember, not all Realtors are right for all people. You need to find someone who’s not only great at his or her job, but someone you like—as you’re going to be spending a lot of time with that person. So get together for coffee and chat. See if you click. If so, you need to determine if that person has the experience, customer service and understanding of the market you’re looking for. Start out by noticing how quickly the Realtor responds to your initial phone call or email. If the Realtor doesn’t get back to you within a maximum of 24 hours, that’s a bad sign. This business moves fast, and deals can be lost if your Realtor doesn’t respond quickly on your behalf during negotiations.
Second, interview the Realtor by asking very specific questions. Click here to read a post with my recommended interview questions.
Third, expect to sign a Buyer Broker Service agreement. I’m amazed how many agents work with buyers without having this groundwork laid out. Not executing an agreement legally prohibits us from acting on your behalf—only for the transaction. Before you disclose confidential information to your Realtor, it’s in your best interest to have a signed agreement. That helps ensure your Realtor will keep confidential information confidential. Here’s a video where I explain an example of confidential information possibly being breached.
If you have any questions, please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you!
