Choosing a Good Buyer's Agent

After saving up for a down payment and cleaning up your credit score, you set out to find the best real estate agent in your quest to find the perfect home. After interviewing all of the big name offices in your area, you end up more confused than ever. Every agency sounds the same. What’s going on?

For starters, you need to get more personal. You want a successful brokerage, but beyond the glossy exterior of the office it's the relationship with the particular agent you choose and how good they are at their job that is going to matter most to you now through closing.

Chemistry between buyers and agents is important. Take the time to meet agents that are good at their job and make you comfortable. The best way to winnow down your list of potential candidates is to ask friends for referrals. Then carefully screen the agents by asking specific questions about their areas of expertise and experience, especially during the previous year.

What You Need to Know

• Request a list of the agent’s transactions over the past year. Look for specific information to make sure the agent works with buyers like you. Check out the area, sales price, and property types of the homes the agent has sold. An agent that specializes in million dollar homes may be a top producer, but might foist you off on an assistant to help you with your $150,000 condo.

• Does the agent work mostly with buyers or sellers? Some agents specialize in listing properties. They’re burned out by tire-kickers. ("Buyers are liars,” is an old adage in the business because of the fickleness that many buyers exhibit.) They have moved from the four-door to the two-door car, meaning that they don't drive buyers around anymore. Other agents thrive on buyers. A lot depends on where the market is at the time, whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market. Choose an agent who is tuned in to your needs.

• Get references and phone numbers of recent clients. References should never be a problem. If you can’t get the whole list, get a minimum of three. And be sure to ask friends for references; often that's your best bet because they won't steer you to someone who didn't work out.

• What is the office like? Don’t be overly impressed by a big office. Many great agents go solo. Others like being around a lot of people. It’s a matter of style. They all have access to the listings in the Multiple Listing Service. However, you can tell some things from how organized the office looks. How you are going to be treated is the most important factor, but you do want to know that the managing broker is competent.

• How many years has the agent been in the business? Experience is helpful. However, being in the business a long time does not necessarily indicate the best person for you. Other factors, like their familiarity with your market, may be more important.

• Is the agent a salesperson or a broker? Being a real estate broker indicates some initiative. More education and licensing is required to be a broker. You might also inquire about continuing education, like the GRI (Graduate, Realtor Institute) and others. Good agents keep ahead of the curve.

• Is the agent available to work around my schedule? A little give and take is a good thing in all relationships, but you don’t want to have to cater to your agent’s busy schedule. Find out how many open houses and clients the agent is committed to every weekend. Feel them out about your time frame.

• Ask if the agent has enough time to devote to your quest. You need something now! An aggressive agent should start e-mailing you listings within a day or so and have a plan that allows you to see as many properties as you can handle in your time frame.

What About Rookies?


Everyone says you need an agent with a lot of experience, but you've met one you like who is new to the business. Should you use the rookie?

A new agent isn’t necessarily a bad choice.

• For starters, new agents have a lot more time to spend on you. Busier agents may take the time to enlist you, but, as the case in a lot of relationships, the attention can get a little scarcer once commitments are made. A new agent, on the other hand, is going to do everything she can to get a sale, unencumbered by clients who want to spend more money than you do.

• New agents may be better equipped in new technology skills.

• Sometimes new agents have been successful in other fields, and have a proven track record in the business world.

One caution: If you’re a first time buyer, you might have to educate yourself more about the real estate process if you go with a newcomer to the industry.

Related links: What a Buyer's Real Estate Agent Does; Use an Agent or Go It Alone