When it comes to home buying or selling, make sure you find the right realtor who can help you understand the trends in the local property markets. Whether you are a buyer or seller, it is in your interest to determine the questions you need to ask a potential real estate agent before you sign any contract with them. Sure, you spot an excellent property on Movoto.com or other platforms. But if you don’t have a reliable real estate agent, the chances are that you will make some mistakes during the property buying and selling process.

Unfortunately, not all realtors are considered equal. Some agents focus on the buying process, property selling process, or both. That means choosing the right agent is crucial. Here are the important questions you should ask your agent to know better before you sign a contract. After all, your agent must have a good understanding of your needs, your financial situation, and your interest in the property.

1. Do you think your budget and expectations are realistic in today’s market?

Ideally, the real estate agent must have an in-depth understanding of the local real estate market trends and provide you with market statistics. You may want to ask about the agent’s property staging, or negotiation strategies are. Ideally, it would be best if you worked with an expert in your target real estate market.

Your real estate agent should be able to guide you and tell you in a helpful and supportive way where you might be at risk of your home buying process. Many property buyers are unsure how far they can safely push their budget and expectations in the current real estate market. Focus on working with an agent who can help you determine how realistic or unrealistic your property purchasing or selling goals are. After all, it would help if you had someone who can caution you from making costly mistakes.

2. How well do you know the location and what are average property prices?

How many properties have been sold in this location in the past six months, and how many haven’t been sold? While this may not be a requirement, your agent might more experience selling properties in your desired neighborhood or area. Working with such an expert means you can sell or buy your desired home within a short period. That’s good news for you.

3. How often can I contact you, and what is your schedule?

Before you ask this question, you need to be sure about how often you want your real estate to have an open schedule or available. Of course, you must respect your agent’s time, but you want an agent who responds to your requests and concerns quickly. Also, he or she must be able to meet your needs as a client every day of the week.

4. What’s your schedule for property viewing?

Focus on finding out if the agent has an assistant to help you when whenever the agent has other commitments. Other important questions include, will you be able to see new properties every day of the week? Are you too busy to visit them?

In today’s highly competitive real estate market, you need a real estate agent who can show your home or commercial properties at any time. In case they have an assistant to help you show the homes, find out if you see them because you need them, not because they want you. If you are buying a home, find out if the real estate agent has enough time to help you shop the right property out there.

Your broker should be able to give you a suggested list price and explain how the home valuation came about. If you feel that the number or value is too low or high, ask your broker for a second opinion. Remember, your agent should be ready to help you make the right investment decision.

More tips

You want an agent who can help you get your house in the best possible condition and sell it in good condition, with good health and safety conditions and the right level of care. It’s recommended that everything in your power make the house more marketable and introduce it to as many potential buyers as possible in the first few days after you get it listed on property platforms.

The point is, the process of buying or selling a home varies from one location to another and from an investor to investor. Just because a friend has had good experiences with a particular agent doesn’t mean that your personality will intertwine. Start your search for your next agent by asking your family, friends, and colleagues. These people may have recommendations for good agents. Once you get the right agent, ask the questions discussed in this article.