Home hunters should choose buyers’ agents who meet these criteria
What are the top five things a buyer should expect from a buyer’s agent? The best way for me to approach this question is to put myself in the buyer’s shoes. What would I want from an agent tasked with helping me find a home?
Communication: There is nothing more frustrating than sending an email or calling someone who doesn’t respond. Work with an agent who values your time. This goes both ways; if you expect your buyer’s agent to alert you to new listings or to make showing appointments, be responsive, too. Communication is a two-way street.
Honesty and full disclosure:
You and your agent should have an open and honest dialogue about your home search.
Respect: Your agent should treat you with the utmost respect. Whether you are paying $500,000 or $5 million for a home in Greenwich, your agent should be cognizant that this may be the single largest purchase of your lifetime. The process can be timely and, often times, frustrating. It takes an abundance of patience and decisiveness.
Market knowledge: It is best to work with a buyer’s agent who knows the local area. Occasionally, I have had buyers who begin their search in lower Fairfield County and then ask me to show them houses in the northern parts of the county. However, I am not familiar with that market, so the buyer is better served by an agent who lives and works in the area that’s of most interest. In these situations, an agent will likely refer clients to another Realtor with local expertise, who will be able to discuss the day-today lifestyle of the area, such as where the train station is, the location of the nearest coffee shop, how to bike to the local park, and other insight.
Organization and planning:
Your Realtor should be able to explain the entire buying process to you and answer any questions you may have. If you are a firsttime homebuyer or relocating from another State or even another country, the process can be daunting. Ask your buyer’s agent to outline the buying process; this will allow you to be fully prepared for every step of the process.