How do you find a realtor that won’t leave you with headaches? The Home Help team has put together a list of our most important steps to take when picking the individual who will assist you with your home. Follow the instructions below and you should have no problem when going to pick a Las Vegas realtor.
CONTENTS:
Build A Top-Three List
When it is time to find a realtor always recommend that you vet three different realtors and then pick the best agent for your situation. One of the best ways to get a few names for this top-three list is to get some referrals from your friends. Most of the time if an individual has a positive home buying or sales experience then they can’t wait to tell their friends and family about it.
If you don’t know anyone who has recently bought or sold a home then it is usually best to look up the best real estate teams or brokerages in your city. Don’t feel too pressured to do a ton of initial research on them, our process below will guide you on exactly what to look for when deciding if the realtors on your top-three list are right for you.
Look The Realtor Up On Zillow
Almost every transaction that occurs on the MLS is reported by Zillow. Most agents have a profile on Zillow and you can easily go view one of your prospective real estate agents to see their activity in the past couple of years. Doing this can tell you a lot about an agent, from their reviews to the actual amount of homes they typically list or purchase for clients. Let’s walk through a local Las Vegas real estate agent’s page and see exactly what we can find.
The first thing to check on Zillow is the agent’s “about me” section. As you can see in the image above, you can quickly see exactly how many sales the agent has had in the past 12 months, their reviews, their experience level, a picture of them, and a little bit about the agent. The next section that is important to check out is the agent’s listings and sales map. As you can see from the image below, the listings and sales section will provide you with a good idea of exactly what parts of the city your potential agent has experience in.
We recommend only selecting an agent that has some prior knowledge or history of home transactions in the area of the city that you are looking at. Ideally an agent would have experience with listings all over the city. The last majorly important thing to check out on Zillow is the potential agent’s reviews. The reason why these are such a good source for vetting your agent is that Zillow makes sure the reviews are accurate and actually come from someone who bought or sold a home with the agent.
Look The Realtor Up On Google
This process is much more simple than looking up the realtor on Zillow. It also can be a slightly less accurate simply because of the fact that anyone can write a google review.
When looking up the same agent on google, their rating is only three stars while on Zillow it is five stars. When taking a closer look however, you can clearly see that someone who didn’t even use them as an agent left them a negative review. This is why the Home Help team always looks at Zillow first. The positive aspect of looking your potential real estate agent up on Google is that you can often times see more information about them through their broker’s website, LinkedIn or other real estate agent listing services.
Check Their Responsiveness
When going through the home buying or selling process it is imperative that you pick a Las Vegas realtor who communicates well. Many times homes are listen and sold within 24 hours, so having a responsive realtor ensures that you are getting to purchase your dream home or get the sale while it’s hot. The Home Help team recommends that you send any prospective agent an email to see how fast they respond and how professionally they conduct themselves. We have put together a simple template that you can simply copy and paste to send to any potential real estate agent. Simply fill out the form below and we will send it over to you at no charge!
GET HOME HELP AGENT OUTREACH TEMPLATE
Give Them A Call
Now that you know a bit more about the agent and have seen that they respond in a quick and professional manner, its time to have a chat with them! From your research, you should already know that your agent has good reviews and is experienced in helping clients with similar situations to yours.
6 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS TO HELP FIND A REALTOR
- Are you able to handle another client with your current workload?
- What is the best skill or personality trait that you offer to your clients.
- How well do you know the area?
- Do you feel that you are the best agent for my situation?
- Can your team assist me with small issues if you are occupied?
- Would you be willing to meet me in person for a 30 minute chat?
Set Up A Face-To-Face Meeting
Once you have properly vetted and spoken to a local Las Vegas real estate agent, it’s best that you meet them in person for one final interview. Pay attention to if they are prompt, how they dress, how serious they seem to be taking you and how passionate they are about their work. It’s easy to see someones credentials or experience on paper, but someones charisma in person could be the difference between you getting the results you want and you being disappointed.
It’s time to pick your Las Vegas realtor! After taking all these steps and meeting a realtor in person, your best choice should be completely clear. Move forward knowing that you got the best possible option for you and your current situation. If none of this sounded like what you are looking for and you want to completely avoid using a realtor, it is always possible to receive a cash offer on your home that doesn’t include any fees or closings costs.
