The Real Estate Broker Hiring Checklist

Beyond the above-mentioned questions, there are other criteria to consider when hiring a real estate agent or broker.

Find Someone Who’s Readily Available

While there are competent part-time agents who sell properties, you must hire someone who can show your home at varying hours or—if you are a buyer—can take you out to see properties at a convenient time.

Ask your real estate agent whether they are flexible regarding when they can hold showings or show you properties if you are a buyer. You may prefer a full time realtor, but don’t overlook a good part-time realtor. Just ask them about their availability upfront.

Find Someone Who Offers Suggestions

Savvy real estate agents know which characteristics sell homes in the area—whether it’s a pool, screened-in porch, or some other desirable feature. To that end, they will make suggestions on the rooms or features to emphasize or deemphasize.

During the initial interview, ask the agent if there are any changes you could make to the house that would improve its desirability. More often than not, the best agents will make these suggestions without prodding on your part.

Find an Area Expert

Hire or retain an individual who knows a great deal about the area. These agents will also be more aware of the typical offering and selling prices than those agents who do not usually work in that neighborhood.

One way to find a local expert is to ask a local brokerage or your friends or relatives if they know anyone who has sold many homes or businesses there. Another suggestion is to look through the local real estate publications and see which agents have the most listings in certain areas.

Find Someone You Like

Sellers, in particular, should seek out agents whose personalities mesh with theirs. For a house to sell quickly and at a favorable price, the listing party and the agent must be on the same page regarding how they are going to market the property, the price that will be set, and how and when the home will be shown. Coordinating these ideas will be easier if the parties involved get along and understand each other intuitively.

How Can I Find a Real Estate Broker?

You can find a real estate broker by asking your local friends who they recommend or you simply visit the real estate brokerages in your town or city. Searching the National Association of Realtors (NAR) database online can be useful as well. For additional resources about where to find credible and local real estate brokers you can click here for more information.

The Bottom Line

Even if you’ve retained someone you believe is an ideal broker, think twice before signing an exclusivity agreement. While your broker might be competent, if you are a seller, the more brokers you have that can potentially show and sell your home, the better the odds of the sale. All in all, make sure to choose the right representation for you!