• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Accessibility Statement

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on InstagramFollow Us on YouTubeRSS Feed

Kimberly Howell Properties

San Antonio Real Estate

office@kimberlyhowell.com
(210) 493-6888
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Agents
  • Buyers
    • Neighborhoods
    • Relocation Information
  • Sellers
  • Listings
    • Available Rentals
    • Homes for Sale
    • McNair Custom Homes
    • Open Houses
  • Contact
  • Rental SearchHomes for Rent
  • REALTORS®Find an Agent
  • McNair Custom HomesNew Construction
  • Property SearchHomes for Sale
You are here: Home / Archives for find a realtor

find a realtor

How to choose the REALTOR® that’s right for you.

March 25, 2013 by khproperties 1 Comment

Multiple For Sale Signs

A big decision before you buy or sell.

For some people choosing a REALTOR® to work with is a matter of seeing a phone number and calling it, but for most people the selection of a REALTOR® is almost as important as choosing which home to buy. It’s not a simple decision and what works for one person, might not work for another. I thought I’d give some info from my perspective that might help you choose the right REALTOR® for you.

Referrals – Often the first suggestion you’ll hear is to ask your friends and family that have bought or sold a home. This is always a good idea. These are people you trust and they care about you enough to give you their honest opinions and what was good and bad about their REALTOR®. Of course, what works for Uncle Bob, might not work for you – so take that into consideration when getting a referral.

Skill – The three components of an agent’s skills that you hear most often when people are giving their opinions on what makes a good agent are education, experience, and skill. If you’d like to check an agent’s real estate education here in Texas, just log on to the Texas Real Estate Commission’s website. Although education is important, it doesn’t mean everything (just because you took the class, doesn’t mean you learned and retained anything). A REALTOR®’s experience is usually counted in years of real estate practice, but I don’t think it always counts for much. I’ve seen agents with years of experience do terrible work and have seen brand new agents do incredible work (and vice versa). It’s really down to the individual on this. You can always ask a REALTOR® about their sales volume, but just because an agent is busy and has closed a lot of transactions, doesn’t mean they’re the right fit for you. Again – it’s all down to what makes you feel most comfortable.

Comfort – I think this is the most important aspect of the entire agent/client relationship. If we’re not comfortable together how will we work together? An agent/client relationship is a partnership. The REALTOR® needs you to help them and you need the agent to help you. By being comfortable, you can build a trusting relationship and be able to tackle just about anything that comes your way during your transaction. You spend a lot of time with your REALTOR®, what good would it be to not be comfortable with them?

So how do I choose?

The best way to choose a REALTOR®? Ask questions. Know what you want out of your agent. Know what’s important to you. Know that not all agents are trained in all disciplines. Some REALTORS® do commercial real estate, some do property management, some focus on rentals – knowing what your agents core focus is can make things a lot easier for you. When you speak to a potential agent, you should be asking them about what they know that relates to your purchase. Remember, the potential REALTOR® should be interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. They should be asking questions too. What are your goals? Your wishes? Your ideas? What do you want and how can they best help you meet those needs? In the answers to those questions, you will get to know the agent’s experience, education, and skills. A list of college degrees isn’t what’s important – what you can do with those degrees is.

So next time you hire a REALTOR®, be prepared. Ask questions, tell them what you want, and don’t be afraid to say “I just don’t think we’re a good match.” We want you to be comfortable, because we want to be comfortable. Nothing says “fun” like spending a Saturday away from home looking at houses with someone you have no interaction with.

image courtesy of Images_of_Money

Filed Under: Real Estate Tagged With: find a realtor

Primary Sidebar

Open Floorplan

Is An Open Floorplan The Right Style For You?

Open floorplan living is often billed as the perfect floor plan, bringing family together in a single room where cooking, conversation and the screen share the same space. It has been a popular feature of a … [Read More...] about Is An Open Floorplan The Right Style For You?

New Kitchen

Nine Mistakes To Avoid With A New Kitchen

No room carries more influence with a buyer than the kitchen because it’s where the everyone gathers and many memories are made. The kitchen can represent up to 20% of the entire value of a property, so it’s … [Read More...] about Nine Mistakes To Avoid With A New Kitchen

House Fire Safety

9 Ways To Avoid Housefires

A fire in your home can happen at any time of the year, but with colder months upon us it’s easy to see how the danger increases with the setting of wood-burning heaters and the use of candles to create a cozy … [Read More...] about 9 Ways To Avoid Housefires

Call A Plumber

Is It Time To Call A Plumber?

As a homeowner, you’ll inevitably have to call in a Sydney plumber to deal with plumbing problems at some stage. It’s one of the ‘pleasures’ of owning property! Choosing the right contractor can feel a little … [Read More...] about Is It Time To Call A Plumber?

First Time Homebuyer

8 Tips For First Time Homebuyers

If it's your first time buying homes for sale, it can be quite intimidating – you’ve got to deal with agents, sellers, rival buyers, banks, and title companies. And it’s not always clear what role each of them … [Read More...] about 8 Tips For First Time Homebuyers

Search Our Site

Real Estate Topics

  • Buying a Home
  • Homeowner Tips
  • KHP News
  • Local Events
  • Local Laws
  • Miscellaneous
  • Mortgages and Financing
  • Open Houses
  • Real Estate
  • Real Estate Market
  • Renters and Landlords
  • San Antonio Places
  • Sell Your Home
  • Technology
Our real estate agents can help you with properties anywhere in Texas. If you need assistance finding agents in other parts of the country, please contact us.

Search Homes

Explore Cities

  • Alamo Heights 45 Listings
  • Bandera 404 Listings
  • Blanco 180 Listings
  • Boerne 661 Listings
  • Bulverde 388 Listings
  • Canyon Lake 415 Listings
  • Castle Hills 23 Listings
  • Castroville 92 Listings
  • Cibolo 415 Listings
  • Comfort 56 Listings
  • Converse 631 Listings
  • Fair Oaks Ranch 75 Listings
  • Floresville 271 Listings
  • Garden Ridge 14 Listings
  • Helotes 204 Listings
  • Hill Country Village 3 Listings
  • La Vernia 188 Listings
  • Lakehills 132 Listings
  • Leon Valley 29 Listings
  • Live Oak 71 Listings
  • Mico 121 Listings
  • New Braunfels 1534 Listings
  • Olmos Park 8 Listings
  • San Antonio 10626 Listings
  • Schertz 329 Listings
  • Seguin 676 Listings
  • Selma 69 Listings
  • Shavano Park 10 Listings
  • Spring Branch 430 Listings
  • Terrell Hills 37 Listings
  • Universal City 75 Listings
  • Windcrest 36 Listings
  • Hollywood Pk 3 Listings

Stay up to date with the latest from Kimberly Howell Properties.

San Antonio real estate and property information provided by Kimberly Howell Properties. Kimberly Howell Properties does not assume any liability or responsibility for the operation or content of any of the linked resources, nor for any of the interpretations, comments, graphics, or opinions contained therein. All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

KJH Properties, Inc. is a licensed real estate brokerage in the State of Texas, Equal Opportunity Employer, and supporter of the Fair Housing Act.

TREC Information About Brokerage Services | TREC Consumer Protection Notice | Privacy Policy

All content © 2009-2020 Kimberly Howell Properties, unless otherwise noted.