Buying a House: Working with a Real Estate Agent

If you are in the market to purchase a new home, a real estate agent can be an invaluable help to you.

Several years ago I was in real estate sales, but quit for health reasons. Following is my perspective on working with a real estate agent.

If you are like many buyers, you will start your search by reading the classified ads and going to open houses. This is a great way to get familiar with the market. Once your search becomes more focused a good real estate agent can be a big help and tremendous time saver.

There are many ways to find a real estate agent. Once people know you are looking for a house, you will probably get referrals, which may be good or not-so -good. A great way to find a agent is to go to an open house in the area that you want to buy in. Agents know that the likelihood that the right buyer will happen into an open house is rare. Agents who are showing open houses are frequently interested in finding buyers to work with.

There are certain agents who do not like to work with buyers, because buyers are time consuming. I used to work in an office where agents refused to show buyers more than three houses. If you think you want to look at more than three houses, you probably don't want one of those agents.

There are lots of agents, who aren't as focused on spending their time getting listings, who will be happy to spend time with you, and help you find the perfect home. Agents who are overloaded with clients may not take the time with you that you deserve. Agents who have been in the business for over a year and are familiar with the market are often excellent at spending the time necessary to help buyers find homes.

You should be aware that most real estate agents work on straight commission. When they take you out in their cars they investing their time in you, as well as the expenses occurred in driving their car. The reason that you should know this is that you should respect their time. Make appointments with them in advance so they can schedule their time. Don't just drop in on them and expect them to drop everything and show you houses. It takes time for the agent to make arrangements to show properties.