Are you planning a move down southern Idaho? If so, one of the best places to set up a nest is Cassia County, specifically Burley city. If you have a penchant for outdoor sports, then you’ll love skiing and mountain biking. But before you get to that, you may want to go house hunting and interviewing real estate agents.
The Burley real estate agent & Realtor scene is vibrant, which means you may have to navigate a few salesy characters before landing an agent that suits best your circumstances. To get you started, we’ve prepared a few essential questions to ask a real estate agent before hiring them.
How long have you has your broker been in the industry?
Experience is a great deal in real estate. This question helps you ensure the person you hire has the skills to help you get what you are looking for. It means it means they have logged in enough years to know the complexities that come with the trade and how best to navigate them. Bear in mind that just because an agent is new, they have the help & knowledge base of their broker who is ultimately somewhat responsible for their actions so they’ll be involved as much as they need to be & available to assist the agent if they are newer.
What Kind Of Marketing Background Do You Have?
Some agents will simply list your home on the mls, put a sign up & they are done. While an agent may have a great knowledge base about real estate, this doesn’t mean they know much about marketing. A great real estate agent should not only be an expert on homes & home values, they really need to be an expert marketer. If they know a great deal about digital & internet marketing this is even better as people are going to the internet to find homes more & more all the time & also looking on more places than just the local mls. They’re finding homes for sale in a variety of ways & through many different resources online.
How well do you know the area?
Knowledge of the local community is probably something you should not compromise with. You want an agent that knows what the community has to offer and where it is lacking. You want someone who gives it to you straight before you make any commitments.
Are you a member of the Multiple Listing Service?
The Multiple Listing Service allows agents to show homes from various agencies. If you are comfortable with what the agency has to offer, that’s fine. However, if you’d like a broader scope to explore in case you land the perfect home, then this is a valid question to ask.
How available are you?
It’s not every day you buy a home. It’s a decision that has a lot of consideration and back and forth consultation. Your agent should be reasonably available when you need them. He or she may not always get back to you quickly; it’s common considering their job demands. However, it’s best to know what is acceptable and what is not.
Are you part of a team, or do you work alone?
Some agents can be too busy to handle your needs personally. Usually, they have a team and may assign an assistant to you or share you around with whoever is present at the moment. If you prefer to deal and trust in one person alone, then this is the kind of information you need to know upfront.
It’s advisable to interview at least three real estate agents to get an idea of the level of professionalism to expect. It’s not really about who answers your questions correctly, but whom you are comfortable working with.
