Important Questions to Ask When Choosing a Realtor

Are you choosing a realtor to represent you for the purchase of a home?  Are you interested in listing your current home for sale?  Getting the RIGHT realtor should be your #1 priority.  You have many options as a consumer and the Tulsa Real Estate market is no different.  There are more than 3500 Realtors in the Tulsa Metro area.  Just about everyone has a friend or family member that is a Realtor or has been a Realtor at some point in their career.  So, how do you choose?  I am going to give you some tips to help you in the decision making process.  These are the things I recommend to all of my clients. 

1.    Are you a FULL-TIME Realtor?  This is a must.  Part-time Realtors can be very nice, helpful and knowledgeable, but when it comes to being available for you when you need them you may experience delays.  You are also going to be negotiating a contract that for most people can be the largest financial decision they will make and you need an experienced advocate on your side to help you.  Just because someone is your friend or family member does not mean they are qualified to help you negotiate a contract for thousands of dollars.  If the person you choose closes 1-4 transactions a year or has never closed a transaction you can expect problems will occur.  I personally do not want to be the “guinea pig” for someone’s first transaction.  There are many, many details that must be handled by your Realtor and it is only natural to expect that someone working another full-time job in addition to representing you on the purchase or listing of a home might miss a few things. 

2.   How long have you worked in the Tulsa Metro real estate market?  This question allows you to further judge the experience of the Realtor.  Although someone who has several years of experience in your respective market is good sign it does not mean that they will necessarily be the best fit for you.  You will want to probe deeper here by finding out about their experience….i.e. How many homes have you sold?...Do you have a resume prepared?...Do you have any past customer surveys or testimonials?  This should get you started on the right track to find out if the Realtor you are speaking to is the best fit for you.  A Realtor that can provide testimonials and customer surveys is doing so for the purpose of gaining customer feedback and tells me that they care about their customers and this is a very good sign.  Don’t be afraid to ask for a phone number for a past client that you can call to ask about their experience.  

3.   Are you up to date with the latest real estate technology?  There are many ways that your Realtor can use technology to make your home buying or selling experience better.  There are new technologies developed constantly just for the real estate market and your Realtor should be utilizing these technologies as much as possible.  Be an informed consumer and look up the latest and greatest ways that homes are being bought and sold across the nation. 

4.   What is different about you?  This is a question that you ask and then grab a pen and listen.  You want to listen for any guarantees they might offer (example: If I don’t sell your house I will buy it myself).  Also listen to see if they are really different.  What sets them apart from the next person?  Do they specialize in working with people that are like you (example: They specialize in working with first time home buyers or specialize in listings)?   If you are selling your house and the Realtor you are interviewing specializes in working with first time home buyers you should consider this. 

5.    When are you available to show me homes?  If listing a house, how will you advertise my home?  You want to be certain that you will have someone that is available when you need them so this is a very important question to ask.  If you are only available on Monday evenings for example and the Realtor cannot show you homes at that time it can prolong your search and make the process of buying more stressful.  How will your Realtor market your home?  What advertising mediums does he/she use?  Don’t be deceived by a Realtor that says they will put you in every homes magazine, online, on TV, etc.  You want someone that gets results so ask for statistics.  What is the average time on the market for your listings?  What is the average time on the market in my neighborhood?  This will tell you if he/she has done their homework and if they keep track of this important information.  This is another opportunity to ask for customer surveys and testimonials.  

There are many other things that you should consider when choosing a Realtor, but this should be a guide to get you started.  Remember you cannot ask too many questions.  The decision you make could save you or cost you thousands of dollars. 

For more information or to contact Steve Currington directly call 918-394-5626(LOAN),  email steve@curringtonmortgage.com or visit www.curringtonmortgage.com.  Steve is mortgage banker located in Tulsa, Oklahoma and specializes in FHA, VA, USDA Rural Development loans.  

For all of your real estate needs contact Darryl Baskin with McGraw Realtors at 918-258-2600 or darryl@darrylbaskin.com