4 Tips To Help You Work With Your Residential Real Estate Agent

Posted on: 28 May 2020

If you are in the market to purchase a home, you are going to want to work with a residential real estate agent. When it comes to working with a residential real estate agent, there are steps you can take to ensure you have a mutually beneficial working relationship.

Tip #1: Keep Your Appointments

When it comes to working with a residential real estate agent, if you make an appointment to view a home, be sure to show up on time. Your buyer's agent often has to get permission from the listing agent to show you the home.

They may have to meet the listing agent ahead of time to get the keys for the property or get the access code for the lockbox. Your agent may have been given a specific time window by the listing agent during which they are allowed to show the home, due to the seller's schedule or other viewing appointments.

Additionally, your agent is probably working with other potential buyers as well, and your agent needs to go through the process above for each home that one of their clients wants to see. Your agent is juggling multiple time obligations to you, the listing agent, the seller of the property, and their other clients, which is why it is important for you to show up on time for any appointments and to communicate as early as possible if you need to cancel on them.

Tip #2: Work Directly With Your Agent

Second, if you are working with a buyer's agent, it is important to run all your business through them. Don't call up the listing agent for a property you want to look at; let your buyer's agent know that you want to look at the property and allow them to set-up the appointment.

Tip #3: Make Your Expectations Clear

Your agent is not going to know what you want if you don't tell them. Provide your agent with a list of the features that you must have in a property and a list of things that you would like to have in a home.

If there are any things you don't want, let them know this as well. Being able to eliminate properties can help your agent better find homes you are interested in.

Tip #4: Understand How Your Agent Is Paid

Finally, it is important to understand how your agent is paid. Your agent is paid based on a commission they get for selling you a home. You should only work with a real estate agent if you intend to broker the deal for the purchase of the home through the agent, as real estate agents are not trying to work for free.

If you are getting ready to purchase a home, you need to find a buyer's residential real estate agent to work with. Make sure you keep your appointments, book viewings through your own real estate agent, and make any expectations you have about the home buying process clear so your agent can help you find the home you want. Following these tips can enhance your relationship with your real estate agent and can help you find the right home in a timely manner.

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