Starting a Home Search With The Best Buyer’s Agent in 2022

Well, obviously you just hire me, right? I’m kidding of course. I’d be flattered, but this is for the many of you out there all over the country, in different markets, that don’t necessarily know what to look for. Good representation is worth its weight in gold.

I’m fortunate in My market to have wonderful colleagues that do a tremendous job at representing their clients, but I have seen what bad representation can do too, from the perspective of an agent on the other side of a transaction. It will cost you as a home buyer precious time and money. 87% of home buyers are using a REALTOR®, and there’s a good reason for it. We just want to make sure that you are paired with the right one. Here’s My no nonsense guide to hiring great representation and setting your home search up for success.

1. Look for a REALTOR®
Let’s start with the obvious question: What’s the difference between a real estate agent, a broker, and a REALTOR®? From the perspective of a home buyer or seller, there is no functional difference between a real estate agent and a broker when it comes to client representation. In Massachusetts there are two different licenses for the two. A broker can operate a brokerage, and manage sales agents, and a salesperson may only practice real estate under the license of a broker.

2. Look at the number of recent sales

More sales equate to experience. No transaction is going to be the same, even under ideal circumstances. Selling more houses means your potential representation is going to be well-versed in the many different situations you could encounter. There is no substitute for experience.

3. Ask For References

References for the agent you’re thinking about hiring, as well as reviews can speak volumes. Even when a past client is solicited by the agent to write a review, the fact of the matter is that the client probably had a good experience. Take it from me, there are so many things in a transaction that can and do go wrong, and sometimes the agent will take the blame for things that may not be in their control. If the agent has a large number of client reviews, it’s more than likely that they are pretty effective at their job, because they’re the ones that have to prevent and step up to fix any issues.

“The average home buyer may not be able to tell the difference between a routine occurence and a major issue. It’s the job of your representation to be able to articulately explain it to you in a way that empowers you to make the right decisions.”