When starting the search for a new home in Southwest Florida, one of the first things that you’ll do is find a Realtor to assist you along the way. Because your Realtor will be with you from start to finish during your home search, choosing your Realtor can turn out to be the most important decision that you make. It’s not a decision that should be rushed into lightly, and mistakes can result in lengthy delays or costly mishaps. Below are a few tips to help you ensure that you make the right choice the first time.
1. Contact the Realtor’s recent clients.
Any confident Realtor will be glad to offer up a list of their recent satisfied clients, as well as a list of all homes bought and sold through their services for the last year. Getting these names is just the first step, knowing the right questions to ask them is the second. Ask any former client for specific numbers such as the asking price of their home as well as the final sales price, in addition to asking them general questions about their happiness with their experience.
2. Get to know the Realtor’s personality.
People often underestimate the importance of simply finding a Realtor that they get along with. You and whomever you choose as your Realtor are going to be spending a lot of time together, as finding the right home and closing on it can often take weeks, if not months, of your time. Finding a Realtor who understands your style and personality, and can anticipate your needs and wants in a home, will not only save you time and money, but save you from many potential headaches as well.
3. Research the Realtor’s experience.
It’s less important to consider the amount of years your Realtor has been in the business, and more important to consider how well established they are and what kind of presence they have in your area. You should also examine the prices of homes the Realtor has previously worked with, as well as their success rate for both buying and selling.
4. Consider the Realtor’s marketing tools.
Look closely at the ways that your Realtor markets their current listings. It’s helpful to examine the listings on their own website, as well as examine the listings that they have across multiple online avenues. If you’re in the market to buy a new home, consider the kinds of listing databases available on the Realtor’s website, as well as how easy their search tool is to navigate. Consider also whether their listings tend to fit within your price range and desired neighborhood.
5. Pick the Realtor with the right specialty.
Think of your Realtor like a doctor, and the field of real estate, much like the field of medicine, is divided into numerous specialties. If your Realtor has additional credentials, it most likely means that they sought additional education and training in a specific area or areas. Finding a Realtor who has expertise in the specific area that you are seeking could make a potentially stressful sale much less complicated. For example, if you are in the market for a Gulf Access home, you will want a Realtor that knows waterways, channel depths, where fixed bridges limit boat height, distances to the Gulf of Mexico, and similar. Or, if you are looking for a beach Condo, you will want to work with a Realtor that knows well the various beach properties, their beach location and view, and details about various beach communities and amenities.
Ultimately, only you will know when you’ve found the right Realtor, the one who will get the job done, whether that’s helping you find your dream home or helping you sell your current home at the optimum price. If you’re looking for a Cape Coral Realtor who knows the Southwest Florida market and who successfully closes deals from both sides, contact David or Brenda of Sage Realtor Group. David and Brenda have a proven track record with excellent client testimonials, years of collective experience in their industry, and easy going personalities that will immediate make you feel comfortable while at the same time letting you know you know that they have what it takes to get the job done. With local knowledge and waterfront property expertise, David and Brenda are a husband and wife team that live and work in Cape Coral and look forward to sharing their community and lifestyle with you.