How to Find a Good Realtor

Steps and recommendations on how to find the best realtor for your situation.

For a normal person when it comes to investments, buying a home is the largest investment they will ever make. With it being such a big decision, it is crucial you find a good realtor to work with to avoid stress, and huge mistakes.

The concept behind a realtor is daunting to some people. They look at the realtor as an enemy, someone who is trying to take advantage of the customer to make profit. While this could be true, many realtors are looking to help the customer as much as they can. Before you go to buy or sell your home, it is essential to put time in to research the best realtor for your situation.

To start, reaching out to others is the best way to start your research on a realtor. As cliche as it is, talking to others is an easy way to find good realtors. If you’re in the home buying/selling stage in your life, chances are many others around you have dealt with realtors as well. By simply having conversations with others, you can start a list of who has positive or negative reviews as a realtor.

Jaren Reece: Front entrance to ANB Bank, located at 131 N 6th St. The second floor of the building is home to Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties, one of the more popular real estate agencies in Grand Junction.

Then, once you have a list of possible realtors, research them online.

Real estate agent Skyler Kraai said, “It sounds weird, but kind of stalk all of their stuff,”. “Look at their facebook, and all of their social media to see if they look like someone that fits in with you, and is the right person for your job.”

Realtors almost always are active on social media. The most popular outlets they use are Instagram and Facebook. Mainly they will post about listings, but also try to brand themselves as a realtor. Besides looking at social media accounts, realtors have websites with extensive information about them.

Jaren Reece: Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties rookie of the year Skyler Kraai during an interview.

After narrowing down the list, it is time to reach out to a couple realtors. The recommended amount is three to five realtors, but of course it can’t hurt to look at more. Then, it’s time to ask the tough questions.

These tough questions can be anything like, how long have you been working as a realtor here? Do you have another job? How many sales did you make last year? While these questions can be hard, and brutally upfront, this is where you will get your best information. 

“You want a realtor that isn’t too busy,” residential associate broker Steven Laugerman said.” Some real estate agents are just too busy for all of their customers… You want a realtor that’s really comfortable from the area, and not working in a bunch of cities.”

Then, the most important thing is making sure the realtor has the best interest in you.

Jaren Reece: Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties residential associate broker Steven Laugerman. Laugerman acts on his own advice, as he is in the office as late as 7:00 p.m. some days.

“A lot of people have what we call commission breath, and that’s when you can tell they’re [realtors] trying to sell you, and it’s not about your experience, it’s about them making money,” Laugerman said.

Finally, after talking with others, doing extensive research, and having conversations with multiple realtors, it’s time to make your decision. While it can seem like realtors can be money hungry, many realtors are genuinely on your side. With proper prior research, it can be rewarding hiring the right realtor.

“For 99% of people, buying a home is going to be the largest investment they will ever make, so it’s special and rewarding to be able to help someone do that. If you’re able to get the job done, seeing the joy on people’s faces is special and super rewarding,” Kraai said. 

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