Either you are new in the real estate market or have been playing for quite some time now, you always want the best real estate agent to work with. But the question is how you can locate a top professional when there are a countless number of agents marketing themselves through online ads, yard signs, direct mail postcards, etc. So let’s go through some important considerations you need to look before choosing a real estate agent in Destin Florida.
1. Talk with recent References
Ask the agent to provide the list of items they have dealt in over the past year along with the contact information of the respective clients. However before proceeding on to talk to the clients, ask the agent about the nature of each client or if it is okay to contact them.
With the old clients of the agent, the easiest and most important thing to ask them regarding their deal is the asking price and the sale price. If you are a seller, try to figure out if there were any similarities with the previous properties in terms of location, size, price, and other major features. The point is you need to know whether the agent you are about to deal with is specialized in any particular field of real estate or not.
Another crucial question to consider is: how long have the homes been listed in the market?
2. Search the License Information
Obviously licensed agents are preferred first. Consult you state’s regulatory body if your shortlisted agent is legally licensed and if there have been any disciplinary issues and relevant actions taken. The information can be found online.
3. How about a Winner?
Agents that have been appreciated or awarded by the state are best judged by the clients. For instance, being awarded “Realtor of the Year” is a huge endorsement for the agent in itself.
4. Agent with the right Credentials
Every profession in any industry has additional specialized fields, so is the case with real estate. Even general agents are asked to acquire further trainings in some areas. So a clear designation associated with an agent’s name is enough to showcase the fact the agent is specialized in certain areas of real estate sales. For example, some of the specialized designations can come in the following terms.
- Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) who has gained an additional training to represent buyers in transactions.
- Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) is entitled to deal with residential real estate transactions.
- Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) who are excelled in dealing with the buying and selling processes for senior citizens normally of 50+ age range.