Pick up a rock, throw it, and most likely you will hit a Real Estate agent because they are
everywhere. In fact there are an estimated 3 million licensed real estate agents in the U.S., but
out of that number it is estimated that 71%-74% didn’t close a single deal last year. You also
have a high turn over ratio in the real estate industry, with 75% to 87% failing within the first five
years. So with those crazy numbers to think about, how do you choose one that knows what
they are doing, will help you be successful in your search to purchase a property, or will do a
great job in selling your property? Plus with those statistics, will that agent be around next year
to help you if a question or concern comes up?
With everything in mind there are some ways to find a great agent, and some questions to ask
when interviewing agents to make sure you find one that has experience, the knowledge
needed to make sure the deal follows all laws, and will make sure your search or sale is as
successful as it can be. The first suggestion is to interview 3 different agents to ask them about
their experience, negotiating strategies along with some hiccups/wins they have had, and find
out their communication style. A key thing to find out is if they are a full time agent, or is this a
side gig where they will help you when off of their regular job. A full time agent should be more
responsive, be able to help when needed, and be more up to date with the market. A suggestion
I have is to text the agent a couple of different times and see how quickly they respond, because
if an agent doesn’t respond to you in a timely manner they might not get back to agents who
want to show your home.
How do you find those 3 agents to interview? Ask friends and family who they have used, not
just who their 2nd cousin from their step dad’s side of the family who is a realtor and maybe did
a good job bringing a good tasting turkey to Thanksgiving. You want actual first hand experience
working with the agent, and ask why would they recommend that person/what did they do good
for them? Once you have gathered some names look them up on google to see articles or
information about them, check out their social media to see if they truly do business or just
share things that won’t mesh with you, and if listing a home look to see how many shares their
listing posts get as you don’t want to only rely on the MLS to find your buyer. There are a lot of
groups on facebook for an agent to share your home to, and if you find an agent who doesn’t
share their listings at all then run as they are most likely lazy and are not willing to put in the
extra effort to sell your home.
The same goes for the brokerage they work for, as not all brokerages are the same. They might
brag about being at the biggest brokerage in town, but we are past the days of who has the
back page of the newspaper on Sunday so the open houses and new listings can be found. See
if the brokerages website has a search feature, how good is that website to navigate, and does
the website have their listings on it to help potential buyers find your home? Once again check
their social media to see if they are sharing their agents listings, as many brokerages don’t take
the time to promote their agents' business, which means your listing isn’t getting promoted.
Lastly, go with your instincts as this is a relationship you are entering into, and you need to be
able to work with the agent through what can be a very stressful process. A home is one of your
biggest assets, so don’t just sign to work with your friend's kid because they need money and
recently got out of school. Interview, research, and go with your gut to have a very successful
transaction on your next Real Estate Journey!
Theron Ahlman
Realtor, Certified Senior Advisor, & Co-Owner of Avid Realty
