Remember Me
forgot your password?

Choosing and Using your Real Estate Agent

Statistics tell us that as many as 80% of all home buyers will start their search for a new home by browsing the Internet. The Internet is often used for browsing new properties, especially when there is distance involved.

While looking at the Internet gives a general feel for areas and prices, for obvious reasons, at some point you will need to involve a real estate agent. Local real estate agents know their areas and know about pending building plans, schools etc. Often on the Internet you can only see the actual property for sale.

Familiarity with the Internet is one of the key requirements to being a skillful real estate agent in today's market. This skill not only speeds up the property finding, it also means that the computer can do the compilations for you, and you can get the perfect home without getting out of your chair!

One of the questions to ask a real estate agent is how familiar are they on the Internet? Make sure they can contact you by email and that they can turn up the MLS listings for you to look at. Sit with your real estate agent and get the virtual tour on a couple of homes. If you are not so familiar with the Internet yourself, you will soon realize how much time and legwork it can save you.

Often, real estate agents will actually state in their profiles that they are Internet proficient. This could mean that they may know more about market trends and economic indicators in the business world as well as having all the realty facts at their fingertips.

Many real estate agents take time out to attend special courses that upgrade their skills. These courses can cover anything from financial expertise to selling homes to seniors. When selecting a real estate agent ask if he has been on any extra curricula courses.

Check on the number of sales that the office has recorded in the last month or two and ask how many are his. Does he mind if you check on a couple of the 'sold' house owners and see how his references check out?

Can you judge his negotiating skills? Does he listen to what you actually ask? Ideally, you want to feel really comfortable with the fact that the real estate agent seems a person that will understand your choices and wishes.

If you want to save time, money and frustration, take the time to find a real estate agent that knows exactly what you want and who knows exactly where to find it on the Internet.

Lane Hornung

Provided by the writing team ColoradosHomes.com.

Rate this Article: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish

Add new Comment



Captcha

  • Latest Real Estate Articles
  • More from Lane Hornung

Many would be interested in how to go about buying and selling on property for profit

By: Kate Faulkner | 16/11/2009
Buying and selling for a profit used to be ‘easy’. Through the millennium you could buy a property and be guaranteed it would make money in a few years and in some cases, a few months. Some people (and mortgage lenders!) seemed to think house prices would continue to rise, others warned of a housing bubble, but didn’t seem to be able to accurately predict when it would burst. However, burst it did, starting in the States and hitting the UK very hard.

Where Are Real Estate Values Going Now?

By: Steve Gillman | 16/11/2009
A look at the factors that affect real estate values, and what we might see in the future.

What to consider when investing or buying overseas

By: Kate Faulkner | 16/11/2009
Many people just ‘fall’ into buying property abroad. Either they go to a show and like the look of the fancy developer photos and get sucked in by the patter of the clever salesmen (usually ex time share sales people!) or they go on holiday, meet someone in a bar, get invited to a ‘free’ event and with little due diligence hand over tens of thousands of pounds. Don’t let this happen to YOU!

How to Buy Property at the Right Price

By: A.Noton | 16/11/2009
Many people dream of buying their dream property. When people are looking to buy a nice piece of property, it can often be confusing figuring out if they are getting a good price. Everyone wants to get a good deal on property, especially during these difficult economic times; however, there...

Rental Properties in Costa Rica

By: jamiehanson | 16/11/2009
Costa Rica, the Rich Coast is known for its amazing beauty and rich green nature. This incredible country of the Latin America is preferred by the tourists for its long stretches of clean beaches, sparkling water, blue and clear skies, fresh green mountains, pleasant climate, evergreen forests which is home for thousands of creatures and plants and lot of beautiful things you can ever imagine.

Just What in the World is a Short Sale Anyway?

By: marco | 16/11/2009
With the real estate market having gone through a major readjustment during almost two years now, you have probably heard the term short sale being bandied about. The idea behind a short sale is that the borrower has fallen upon financial and/or economic hardship and he/she cannot keep up with mortgage payments. The idea behind a short sale is that the borrower has fallen upon financial and/or economic hardship and he/she cannot keep up with mortgage payments.

Is it worth to buy a foreclosed home?

By: Samanta | 16/11/2009
When you are looking for the perfect residence for your family and yourself, one of the things that you need to consider is the possibility of purchasing a foreclosure home.

French Leaseback: SIPP purchase

By: Matthieu Cany | 16/11/2009
The self-invested personal pension (SIPP) is a flexible, highly tax-efficient personal pension comprising of investments you choose yourself.

Choosing and Using your Real Estate Agent

By: Lane Hornung | 02/01/2008 | Real Estate
Statistics tell us that as many as 80% of all home buyers will start their search for a new home by browsing the Internet. The Internet is often used for browsing new properties, especially when there is distance involved.

Finding your Ideal Alpine Home

By: Lane Hornung | 06/12/2007 | Real Estate
There are many different versions of the ideal traditional ski lodge. Since the early 20th century this building style has slowly evolved as it has spread across the world, interpreted by different architects and developers. Today's ski lodges and high mountain homes offer all the style of classic architecture, while delivering a wide variety of modern comforts and amenities.

Getting Comfortable With Hard Money Investing

By: Lane Hornung | 06/12/2007 | Real Estate
Many real estate investors overlook hard money loans as a strategy for acquiring property. That's because these loans are typically used by desperate property owners looking for a way out of the real estate market, rather than into it. But hard money can work for anyone, and it can be particularly useful if you're a new investor looking to build your portfolio quickly.

Home Buyer Incentives - it Doesn't Hurt to Ask

By: Lane Hornung | 20/11/2007 | Real Estate
In a seller's market, a prospective home buyer needs to be a little more cautious when negotiating a purchase; however, in today's buyer's market, incentives are an accepted part of the deal.

Time for a Clean Sweep? the Down and Dirty Guide to Making it Happen

By: Lane Hornung | 26/10/2007 | Real Estate
Maybe you're ready to sell and it's time to put your house on display. Or you're preparing your home for the new owners to take possession. Or, heaven forbid, you've just bought a house and the last owner left a disaster (check with your realtor – you may be able to receive some sort of compensation depending on your contract).

The Buy First / Sell First Dilemma

By: Lane Hornung | 26/10/2007 | Real Estate
Unfortunately, the smooth transition from selling one house and buying another involves more luck than science. Do you list your home and risk selling it before you have a new one to move into? Or, do you buy first, produce a costly down payment, and then nervously wait to sell your home; praying all the while that you won't get burdened with two mortgages.

Condos Command a Crowd

By: Lane Hornung | 18/10/2007 | Real Estate
Recent years have seen an explosion in the amount of multi-unit housing on the market. With new builds starting everyday, it's clear the condo market is hot, hot, hot. Today's units appeal to a wide variety of people for a number of reasons.

Ya Know a Good Mortgage Broker?

By: Lane Hornung | 02/10/2007 | Real Estate
It's a fact that all mortgages do not suit all people. It's also a fact that all mortgage brokers are not the same. As the recent spike in foreclosures and crushing no doc loans have shown us, some brokers are clearly more interested in personal gain than in meeting borrowers' needs.

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup
Article Categories




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.39, 6, w2)