8 Questions to Ask a Realtor Before Buying Your First Home

Buying a house is a daunting task. It takes years of savings, extensive fieldwork, and tiresome paperwork. We all look out for someone to help us with our housing procedure. This is where a residential house realtor comes into action. A well-efficient house realtor is one who has the following Attributes.

  • Holds a certified degree in the sector.
  • Holds an ample year of experience.
  • Holds a better relationship with the official for the paperwork.
  • Well-known to the area and surroundings.
  • Offers and bargains for the fair price of the house
  • Represents confidently in front of the house owner.

Although it is difficult for anyone to extract detailed information about the residential house realtor. Eventually, there are specific ways that help determine the efficiency of the service provider. To understand better, let’s discuss the top 8 questions that need to be discussed with the house realtor to make the most of the buyer’s finances.

8 questions to ask a realtor before buying your first home

What is the CMA of the area where the property to be purchased is located?

It is essential to ask your realtor about the CMA for your area. CMA means Comparative Market Analysis. It’s a list of houses for sale or recently sold in a particular area. With CMA, you can compare your property’s price, size, and rooms with similar ones on the market.

What is your marketing approach for sales and purchases?

Before buying any property, it is important to have an expected resale value. To seek the best knowledge of the realtor, Learn about the home’s marketing plan. In a world with multiple advertising modes, ask your realtors about their marketing strategy. To get the best knowledge about the potential of the realtor, understand their effective marketing approach to find a buyer or seller. It’s more than just putting a “For Sale” sign; it includes:

  • Listing on Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
  • Social media ads.
  • Newspaper ads.
  • Billboards and banners.
  • Flyers and brochures.

How much do you charge for an individual deal?

It is important to understand the fee charged by the realtor.  Some agents charge a percentage of the sale price as a commission. It’s usually around 6% of the property value. Top Los Angeles realtors offer flat fees, which is a fixed amount to be paid on the success of the deal. Benefits of a flat fee include:

  • No extra charges.
  • Focus on a better deal.
  • Transparent pricing.
  • Support throughout.

Additionally, it is essential to discuss the realtor’s cancellation policy in order to obtain financial clarity in the deal.

What is your experience as a realtor in the real estate sector?

It is important to consider the experience of the realtor. The realtor’s experience helps build trust among their clients. It’s not just about how many years they’ve worked in the real estate sector but how efficient they are at serving the requirements of their clients. Check their expertise by:

  • Examining the price-to-selling-price ratio in their listings.
  • Counting the houses they sold or bought.
  • Knowing how many clients they’ve served.
  • Checking if they specialize in certain types of properties.

Are we going to perform transparency during the procedure?

Ensure that the realtor offers transparency in the contract. Whether you’re a buyer or seller, keep the communication open with your realtor. Avoid relying on rumors. Your realtor should:

  • Regularly update you on the progress.
  • Be prompt with paperwork.
  • Not charge extra fees.
  • Handle inspections efficiently.
  • Highlight both the good and bad points of the house.

Can you share any past reference(s) for better understanding?

It is important for you to ask the realtor for their experience, portfolio, or reference to get assured about their efficiency and experience in the field. A look at their past records will also help you set your expectations accordingly. Moreover, a predetermined idea about the realtor will help you make better choices and decisions while buying the property.

How do you handle the negotiation, and what is the approximate success rate?

Asking this question will ensure the following things for you:

  • You will be able to crack a profitable deal while buying the house.
  • You identify favorable deals.
  • The negotiation skills of your realtor can help you get your desired property at a price that lies within the range of your affordability.

Can you provide a rough estimation of the processes and time taken to close a deal?

Getting a rough idea of the processes, documents, and time required for buying a house will help you stay prepared with all the papers, permits, information, etc., that would be needed for closing a favorable deal successfully. It would save the purchase from getting delayed or postponed due to the unavailability of resources at the time of requirement. All in all, having an estimation about such aspects will speed up the process and will get you possession of your house way sooner.

Conclusion

Clearly, the first step towards cracking a favorable and profitable deal while buying a house is to have a competent and efficient realtor by your side. For that, you need to make clear communication and ask relevant questions to establish trust and transparency. The questions mentioned above will help you hire the best realtors who will prove to be resourceful and efficient. In order to skip the drill you can also seek the assistance of Kirkland Real Estate to make the most affordable yet profitable deals while buying properties and houses.