Once again, if you want to be the best Charleston Real Estate agent, you have to know what people are going to ask real estate agents. Here is what a recent HouseLogic report recommends potential home buyers ask when selecting a Realtor.

Ask detailed questions about their experience and skills to help you find the right agent for your home sale.

1. How long have you been selling homes?

Mastering real estate requires on-the-job experience. The more experience agents have, the more likely they’ll be able to handle any curveballs thrown during your home sale.

2. What designations do you hold?

Designations like GRI (Graduate REALTOR® Institute) and CRS® (Certified Residential Specialist), which require that agents complete additional real estate training, show they’re constantly learning. Ask if agents have designations and, if not, why not?

3. How many homes did you sell last year?

Agents may tout their company’s success. An equally important question is how many homes they’ve personally sold in the past year; it’s an indicator of how active and aggressive they are.

4. How many days on average did it take you to sell homes?

Ask agents to show you this data along with stats from their local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) so you can see how many days, on average, their listings were on the market compared to the average for all properties in the MLS.

5. How close were the asking and sales prices of the homes you sold?

Sometimes sellers choose their agent because the agent’s suggested listing price is higher than those suggested by other agents. A better factor is the difference between listing prices and the amount homes actually sold for. That can help you judge agents’ skill at accurately pricing homes and marketing to the right buyers. It can also help you weed out agents trying to dazzle you with a lofty sales price just to get your listing.

6. How will you market my home?

The days of agents putting a For Sale sign in the yard and hoping for the best are long gone. Look for an agent who does aggressive and innovative marketing, especially on the Internet.

7. Will you represent me exclusively?

In most states, agents can represent the seller, the buyer, or both in a home sale. If your agent will also represent buyers, understand and consent to that dual representation.

8. How will you keep me informed?

If you want weekly updates by email, don’t choose an agent who plans to contact you only if there’s an offer.

9. Can you provide references?

Ask to talk to the last three customers the agent assisted. Call and ask if they’d work with the agent again and if the agent did anything that didn’t sit well with them.

10. Are you a REALTOR®?

Ask whether agents are REALTORS®, which means they’re members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR). NAR has been an advocate of agent professionalism and a champion of homeownership rights for more than a century.

Other web resources

More on choosing an agent

More on REALTOR® designations

G.M. Filisko is an attorney and award-winning writer who’s worked with many real estate agents in the past 20 years. A frequent contributor to many national publications including Bankrate.com, REALTOR® Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal, she specializes in real estate, business, personal finance, and legal topics.

via HouseLogic | REALTOR® Content Resource | Find the Best Agent to Sell Your House.

As a real estate agent, it is very important that you know what potential home buyers and sellers are looking for in an agent, so you can be that kind of person.

Here is an article that goes over certain aspects that home buyers are looking for in an agent. If you can be this kind of agent, you are almost guaranteed consistent repeat and referral business:

1. Knows how to communicate. Communication is the key to a successful real estate transaction. Your agent needs to be available to communicate with you as well as other agents, lenders, and closing companies. Good agents almost always answer their phones, and respond to email and text messages almost immediately. A good Charleston Realtor not only needs to be readily available for communication, they also need to know how to share the message in an effective manner where all parties will understand what needs to be communicated.

2. Has experience. True real estate knowledge can only be understood through experience. Sometimes the only way to learn how to do things better is to fail. The last thing you want to happen during your transaction is have your real estate agent make a mistake that costs you money, or your dream home. Now, this doesn’t mean that its bad to use a new real estate agent. New Charleston real estate agents are often the hardest working agents. When you use a new agent, you do want to make sure that they have a strong support staff and experienced broker who will be working with them and helping them out along the way.

3. Understands negotiation and contracts. Lets be honest, real estate transactions are never cheap. For most people, they are the most expensive purchases one will ever make. Because so much money is involved, it is essential that your real estate agent is on top of things. They need to make sure that your real estate contract really protects you. Good experienced real estate agents also understand market conditions and other cues that can help you negotiate the best deal possible.

4. Is Honest and Will Work for YOU. Home buying and selling can be very arduous and stressful. Real estate agents make a good deal of money when transactions do go through. When selecting an agent you want to make sure that your Realtors interest really is to serve you, and to do what is in your best interest. The fact is that some real estate agents interest is getting the highest commission for the least amount of effort. There are also Charleston Realtors who really do have integrity. They want what’s best for you and realize that by providing excellent service, they will be rewarded in the long run.

via curhomes – See You Are Home! Finding the right home for you, and the information you need to know to get the best real estate in the best location..

If you’re considering a career in real estate, you can’t have a criminal history. However some real estate licensees abuse their magic key privileges for unlawful measures. Check out what this dork did:

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via Real Estate Only » Open Houses Might Be Target For Burglars.