I bought my first home before I began my career in real estate.  It did not occur to me that I should be the slightest bit picky about who would represent and help me make one of the biggest investments of my life. Instead, I just picked up the phone and called my best friend’s step-mother who I knew was in the business. I trusted my best friend with my life, and therefore assumed those qualities would be reflected in her step-mother.

Luckily, she did a good job for me. But what if I had been wrong? Knowing what I now know about real estate, it scares me to think about that.

Just because someone has been in the business for years, doesn’t necessarily mean they will be the best agent for you. While experience is certainly a plus, the best agent is also one who will listen to you, knows the ins and outs of your target market and asks questions.

Here are some questions that will help you find the right agent.

• Are you a full-time agent? Full-time not only means more focus and attention, it also implies that an agent will be more educated on changes in the local market conditions and community trends that may impact your resale.
• Can you provide me with information on the area?
  Your agent should be an advisor, and have available to you information on local schools, community information, community trends, neighborhoods that match your lifestyle, and information on resale trends in particular areas, etc.
• Are you familiar with the pricing of other homes in the area where I want to buy?
  An agent who specializes on the specific area you are considering  will be able to better advise you as to home prices in that area. They will also have the added knowledge to guide you on how quickly you’ll need to proceed based on the demand in that specific area.
• Can you give me a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of recent sales in the area and homes currently on the market?  Buyers, not just sellers, should insist on a CMA.  Before you put in an offer on a home, your agent should review a CMA that includes sales prices for homes that have sold within the previous six months.  The CMA should include detailed property descriptions (such as square footage, numbers of bedrooms and baths, etc.), because ideally these comparables should closely match the home you are considering.  This will ultimately protect your invest by insuring you don’t overpay.
• Can you explain to me the home buyers process and what it entails from beginning to closing?  Knowing the process before you get too far into it will do you a world of good. Often times, agents guide their clients as they go through the process. This is still necessary, but knowing how the process flows ahead of time, will make the process a much smoother one for you.

These are just some of the questions to ask to make sure that you find the right agent for you. But remember, the right agent will also be the one who asks YOU the questions as well!