5 Tips for Working Effectively with your Real Estate Agent

Posted by Eric Miller on Friday, March 9th, 2012 at 1:45pm.

When it comes to buying or selling a home, working as a team with your real estate agent is essential. While your agent is certainly the one who will take on the primary responsibility of getting your home sold or finding the right home for you, you will complete the buying or selling process more quickly and easily by working cooperatively with your agent throughout the process.

Whether dealing in Downtown Denver real estate or a home in Fort Lauderdale, by following these 5 simple tips you will be able to work more effectively with your real estate agent to get your home sold or to find the perfect home to suit your needs.

Tip #1: Keep Your Appointments While your agent should certainly make every effort to make each client a priority, keep in mind that you are not the agent’s only client. Therefore, as a matter of mutual respect, you and your agent should both keep your appointments and should be sure to arrive on time. If you are going to be late, call the agent and let him or her know when you will arrive. This way, your agent can plan a way to use the time the most effectively.

Tip #2: Follow the Proper Protocol When working with a real estate agent, there are a few guidelines that you should keep in mind in terms of following protocol. For example, if you are working with a buying agent, you should not call the listing agent. Remember, the listing agent works for the seller, not for the buyer. Furthermore, if you are interested in attending an open house, contact your agent to find out if it is proper for you to attend the event on your own. In some areas, it is against proper protocol to show up to an open house without a representative. If you do attend an open house alone, you should give your agent’s business card to the hosting agent right away.

Tip #3: Do Not Sign Forms You Do Not Understand Keep in mind that your agent is there to represent your best interest. Therefore, you should never feel silly for asking questions before you sign any paperwork. At the same time, remember that agents are not lawyers and cannot interpret the law for you. If you are still uncomfortable with the paperwork you are being asked to sign even after the agent explains it to you, it may be in your best interest to consult with a lawyer.

Tip #4: Clarify Your Expectations Before you sign any agreements with your real estate agent, you should be sure to make your expectations clear. If you need an agent to pick you up and then take you back home after viewing homes, make sure this is an acceptable procedure. You should also clarify your preferred methods for communication while setting realistic goals for buying or selling your home.

Tip #5: Be Ready to Take Action If you aren’t serious about buying or selling right now, it is unfair to waste a real estate agent’s time if you are not truly ready to take action. If you are just browsing or if you are simply putting your feelers out into the market, you can do this without a real estate agent by your side.

About The Author - Brian Kinkade specializes in Colorado condos in his role as Realtor with The Home Cart Team based in Denver, Colorado.

Eric Miller is an award winning Florida Realtor, salesperson and broker. His website, FortLauderdaleGroup.com provides an up-to-date guide to Fort Lauderdale Condos for sale, and the most complete buyer, seller and investor information for the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Market.

1 Response to "5 Tips for Working Effectively with your Real Estate Agent"

Jupiter New Home wrote: Thank you for the 5 tips these tips will help me in my Real Estate Business. Posted on Thursday, March 29th, 2012 at 6:15pm.

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