Buyer’s Questions for Agents
- What
are your working hours and when would you be available to show me
homes? (Make sure their schedule will work with your schedule.)
- What
neighborhoods do you work in? Have you sold homes in the neighborhoods
I want to look in? (Make sure the agent has worked in the area before and
is familiar with the market in that area. Agents who say “I will work
anywhere” generally don’t have a good grasp on the market in all of the
areas they are willing to work and it is important for agents to know what
is a good price, etc.)
- How
often will you communicate the new listings that have come on the
market and how will you communicate with me? (In a hot market, agents
should look for listings daily, but of course they do need a day off too.
Make sure you talk to your agent about this.)
- What
are some ways that I can save money when going through the buying
process? How much are you willing to negotiate? (You should hire someone
who can be a good negotiator or a leader that will advise on how to also
write the strongest offer. Sometimes in this hot market, the best advice
is how to write a clean offer.)
- Do
you have a trusted referral network of people that will help with
my transaction like an escrow agent, home inspector, lender, etc.?
(Keyword: Trusted.)
- Will
you help me buy a FSBO (For Sale By Owner) or New Construction?
- Are
you a full-time agent? (If the agent is not full-time, it means
you are not getting full-time service and the agent may not be as familiar
with what is going on in the market.)
- Will
you represent me 100% or would you ever represent the seller too? (You
will want an agent that is exclusively representing you, unless you have
previously discussed the situation with your agent and have an understanding
of who represents whom.)
- Do
you have any references that I could call or email? (An agent
should always be able to give you references.)
Considerations
for Buyers:
- Make sure the agent asks you enough questions
about your goals, needs, wants, finances (they should ask where your money
is coming from and what your down payment will be) and what is most
important to you. If they don’t ask, they don’t care.
- Enough experience. You cannot just judge this
by number of years in the business. One agent might have worked for 5
years and only helped 20 clients and another agent might have worked for 1
year and helped 25 clients. The best way to feel comfortable about the
agent’s past experience is to ask for referrals from past clients and see
what they have to say.
- Does the agent know what the market is like in
the areas you want to buy in?
- Does the agent review the entire home buying
process with you and make sure you don’t have unanswered questions?
- Make sure you understand what (if any) your
financial obligations are throughout the process. Generally the seller
pays the buyer’s agent fees, but if your agent is helping you with a FSBO
(For Sale By Owner) make sure this is discussed.
Register For A Free Home Buyer Workshop
Review
Krisanne’s Business Philosophy
Go Back To Services &
Resources For Buyers
|
