Whether you’re looking to buy your next home or sell your current residence, finding the right realtor is an imperative part of the process. An experienced and skilled real estate agent can make a world of difference when it comes to pricing your home right and locating the house of your dreams. If you’re a resident of Houston or the surrounding suburbs and looking for a reputable and reliable realtor, contact Wallace and Dean Real Estate today! Our team is dedicated to providing industry-leading real estate solutions to folks looking to buy or sell, and we’d love to help you out! Let’s take a look at a few of the qualities that define an excellent agent.
Signs of a Great Real Estate Agent
Passionate and Dedicated
This might seem like an obvious quality to look for in a realtor, but no one wants to hire a professional of any type that doesn’t clearly love what he or she does. Especially if you’re a first time homebuyer looking for just the right home, having a real estate broker who’s as excited as you are for your prospective purchase can make your home buying experience fun and enjoyable. Likewise, if you’re in the process of selling your home, you want to know that your realtor is diligently working to locate any potential leads available. When you work with a real estate agent who is passionate about his or her profession and helping others, you’ll have confidence that your agent will go the extra mile for you when needed and fight for your best interests in a competitive market.
Local Expertise
When you are looking to buy a home in an area you’re not familiar with, it is vital to have a real estate broker who is exceptionally knowledgeable about his or her local market. Nothing is worse than purchasing a new home only to find out that the primary amenities you need are not conveniently located. If you have kids and you’re planning a move from a different state, make sure you enlist the assistance of a realtor who is well-versed in the local school district and the local recreational activities available. Likewise, if you’re a recent retiree, it pays to have confidence in your realtor’s familiarity with your future destination so that your dream retirement home doesn’t back up to a noisy college campus or children’s day care facility. When you are confident that your realtor won’t show you listings in undesirable locations, you can count on your buying process being an efficient one.
Tech-Savvy
In today’s world, nearly every type of transaction has some element of technology involved, and real estate transactions are no different. During your search for a great real estate agent, be sure to ask him or her what kind of online services he or she offers. What type of details can he or she include in your online MLS listing? Does the real estate broker have access to innovative programs and technology that allow virtual tours of homes so you can see the floor plan before even setting up a showing? What about relying upon electronic closing documents and procedures? Hiring a tech-savvy real estate agent will ensure that your buying or selling process moves as quickly and smoothly as possible, with everything documented electronically along the way.
Licensed Assistants
It’s no secret that real estate brokers are busy folks, and if you’re looking for the best realtor in your area, chances are that other people are as well. What that means is that he or she is likely to have multiple clients, several showings, and many potential sales in the works at any given time. What happens when you need to speak with your realtor about a very important matter, but he or she is tied up in a closing for three to four hours? What if you want to make a time-sensitive offer on a property and need immediate access to a licensed real estate professional? In order to meet the needs of clients, most reputable and reliable realtors will have an assistant who is trained, educated, and licensed to assist clients in their absence.
Well-Respected
As in any other profession, reputation matters. Real estate professionals work with each other on every real estate deal, and if a realtor has earned a questionable reputation amongst other agents, this might be a red flag to pay attention to. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) has a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice that all realtors are expected to adhere to, and if a realtor has violated any of the ethical standards, it’s likely that other local realtors know about it. When you’re looking for a realtor, we recommend asking neighbors, friends, and other real estate professionals for names of real estate brokers they have first-hand experience with. Many times, past behavior is the best indicator of future performance.
Houston Real Estate Broker
In addition to these five qualities, perhaps the most important qualities in a real estate agent is are integrity and trustworthiness. At Wallace and Dean Real Estate in Magnolia, we are dedicated to providing honest, transparent, and efficient real estate services to the residents of north Harris County, including the Houston and Woodlands area. We’d love to speak with you about your realty needs and help you either buy or sell a home. Our real estate brokers have the knowledge, experience, and skills you need and deserve. Contact us today to learn more!