Where to Find the Right Buyer's Agent

Where to Look

• Personal referrals.  Good friends know your personality, and likes and dislikes. If your friend had a good experience and thinks you will too, that's a good start. You want to find an agent with good references, just as you would if you were looking for an accountant, attorney or doctor.  The lawyers, accountants, and other professionals you trust usually know some reputable agents too.
• Advertising - newspaper and online.  Moving to a new town? Peruse the local papers and real estate companies online. Call or e-mail some of the top agents. If they respond promptly, do some fact-finding and interviewing.
• Go to open houses.  Spend some time going to open houses. You'll get more familiar with the market and meet agents in the area. You might just hit it off with someone who meets your needs. Be careful though, many agents work mostly or exclusively listing homes. This means that an agent at an open house may make a great listing agent, but not such a hot buyers agent.
• Don't be afraid to walk into a Real Estate office and say you want to buy a home. Not every Real Estate office staffs their "Floor Time" with new agents. Larger firms have criteria for this opportunity including production requirements. You should interview any agent prior to working with them. Good agents will interview you, so don't be afraid to ask questions of them. Even if you ended up with a newer agent, they are schooled in the latest technology, the latest changes to the law, etc which means good things for you.

Where NOT to Get Help

• Avoid family members.  Hiring an agent in the family usually isn't a good idea. It's hard enough to get along at Thanksgiving dinner. Who wants to share personal and financial information with close or even not-so-close relatives? And you can't fire your cousin.

• Be careful when walking into a real estate office looking for an agent.  Make sure to interview whoever is on "Floor Time". You wouldn't have major surgery without getting a second opinion. Why would you work with the first agent you talked to for such a major purchase? Don't work with someone who only shows you their listings, or one who doesn't asses your needs and wants prior to jumping in the car to show you houses.

• Part-time agents.  A lot of pitfalls here. Why are they part-time? Don't they need the money or do they have another job? Agents who make the occasional sale usually aren't as up on the market as full-timers.

Next article: Choosing a Good Agent

Previous article: What a Buyer's Real Estate Agent Does

Related Links

• Choosing a Good Agent
• How Buyer's Agents are Paid
• Working With Your Buyer's Agent