What To Look for In a Katy Real Estate Agent
Want to know how to hire the best Katy real estate agent? See below!
NOTE: Many of these items are specific to Texas agents.
___ Did your agent give you the “Information About Brokerage Services” notice that is legally required by the Texas Real Estate Commission before showing you houses? Can your agent effectively explain it?
___ Did your agent provide all the other necessary disclosures, notices, and the Buyer’s Representation Agreement to you before showing you houses? Be careful! You don’t want to find out after-the-fact that your agent actually represents the Seller.
___ Can your agent effectively explain the HOA maintenance fees, MUD and LID taxes, compliance certificate requirements, amenities, property tax rates, school performance ratings, and other important information for the neighborhoods you are looking at?
___ Does your agent know how to provide you with an accurate CMA (price analysis) on a home before you make an offer? Is he or she committed to helping you get the right price or does the agent just want you to buy the highest priced home you can afford? (See “How to Price a Home Correctly“)
___ Does your agent point out possible defects of homes when you tour them or does your agent always seem to overlook the obvious problems of a home and try to convince you that they don’t matter? (Check my client satisfaction rating.)
___ Does your agent actually show you homes or does he or she expect you to drive the neighborhood on your own and then contact the listing agent directly to let you see the house? A dedicated agent wants to be with you every step of the way.
___ Has your agent set up a customized automatic home search for you that is pulled directly form the local MLS? Or are you still trying to find homes on your own using the limited online search Websites available in your area? These programs (such as Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, and Homes.com) can be outdated very quickly showing contract-pending homes as “active.”
___ Does your agent use an online paperwork system where you can e-sign documents instead of having to fax and scan them (which is sometimes challenging and time-consuming)? What if your spouse is still back home in another state or country? You need to be able to e-sign!
___ Does your agent work to negotiate a residential service contract (aka, home warranty) in the deal or provide one for you to protect you from too many future home repairs?
___ Does your agent have at least a 4.5 star client satisfaction rating with the local board of area Realtors? What’s your agent’s YELP rating, Homes.com endorsements, Angie’s List reviews, and so on?
___ Does your agent have 20 years experience? (Trick question.) IT DOESN’T NECESSARILY MATTER! There are terrible agents with 30+ years of experience who even have a broker’s license. And there are outstanding agents with only a couple of years experience. Time does not equal quality in this business. Time cannot guarantee attitude, dedication, integrity, intelligence, or commitment to customer service. Check their satisfaction rating...this is a free service for all members of the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR). If your agent hasn’t signed up, maybe they have something to hide.
“If you’re not sure whether you need a real estate agent or not, please take a look at Do I Need a Real Estate Agent to help you decide.”
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Buying & Selling Real Estate Is a Huge Investment
Don’t You Deserve a Five Star Real Estate Agent?
Sheila is the author of KatyHomesForSaleTX.com – so you know that she knows the area! Winner of Five Star award every year since 2010.
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REALTORS DON’T “JUST” SELL HOUSES Real estate agents don’t “just” sell houses; we sell a SERVICE to effectively guide home buyers and sellers through the entire real estate transaction, which usually takes several months. We are more like real estate consultants than we are salespeople. That’s probably why 88 percent of all home buyers and sellers choose to hire a real estate agent when buying or selling a home! Buying or selling a home is not like buying or selling a TV, a computer, or a car. You can’t buy/sell a home on the Internet with a couple of clicks. There are MANY legal aspects, deadlines, and requirements that most people are not trained to handle. What’s more…mistakes along the way can cost you thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars. The financial risk is much greater than just about anything else you may buy.
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