Choosing a REALTOR is not your full time job, but it should be the FULL time job of your REALTOR to be A REALTOR.  If you have made the commitment to buy or sell real estate you should have a REALTOR that is committed to forming a strong business relationship with you.  Here are some ideas on choosing a REALTOR:

1) Personal referrals—Ask your closest friends who sold them their house.  Now think about this for a minute.  They bought that house five years ago, that’s a long time.  Your friend will have to think about it and get back with you.  They might have forgotten their REALTOR because they haven’t heard from them in five years.  Hmmmm, you are going to want a professional that is dedicated to serving your needs—before, during and after the sale.  Personal referrals are the best, because you have a friend you trust telling you that this is someone that they trust.  Key questions to follow up with your friend:  Would you buy your next home with this REALTOR?  Would you sell this home with this REALTOR?  Trust is the key, would you want to use the hairstylist of a friend whose hair looks like a rats nest?  If you don’t like what their stylist has done with their hair you’re probably not going to want that stylist touching your hair.  I’m just saying.

2) Advertising—Think about the last time you bought something advertised on TV or in a magazine.  What were they selling?  Did you buy it because it filled a need or did you buy it for some other reason?  Just because a REALTOR has a billboard, park bench, TV commercial, shopping cart or Home owners newsletter does not mean their work ethic fits with your personality or needs. 

3) Websites, Blogs and Facebook—This is separate from advertising because if done correctly they serve a REAL function to you.  Websites, Blogs and Facebook serve three functions: 1) Information 2) Call to action 3) communication.  As your researching your REALTOR; are they providing information, communication opportunities and a call to action?  These are all important and useful in your search for a home or in the marketing of your home.

4) Communication—It is extremely important that your REALTOR communicate with you in a way that you WANT to be communicated in.  E-mail, texting, phone calls to the cell phone at work, phone calls to the work phone, phone calls to the home phone, facebook messages and twitter tweets.  Who is number one in this situation…..YOU ARE.  Make it a point to find out what communication methods are available.  If you love to receive text messages, you need to make sure that your REALTOR is on the same page.  Your REALTOR also needs to understand how handy you are with a computer and if you have access to a fax machine.

5) Home Search—Your REALTOR needs to be a part of your home search, but not the beginning middle and end.  Here’s what I mean… you have to be an active participant in your home search.  In order to get the home of your dreams you need to be part of the game.  Suite up and get in the game.  Your Realtor is a major player, notice that I didn’t say coach.  Your the player coach.  Your REALTOR is the player agent, the pinch hitter, the announcer, the cheerleader, the medic and the relief pitcher.  They are what you need them to be at that moment in time and sometimes they will be everything and all at once.

6) Availability—Your REALTOR should be available to you on your schedule.  You are the client, you are important and you should be given priority.  This is one way that a full time dedicated Real Estate Professional is different from the part time REALTOR.   They have another job four to eight hours a day, when do they have time for you?

7) Eating Real Estate Every Meal—Another way a full time dedicated Real Estate Professional is different from the part time REALTOR is that they are always working on Real Estate.  Their focus is directed at being the best REALTOR they can be.  They have one vision of success and that is to help you achieve your Real Estate goals .  This can be seen through the weekly improvement meetings that they attend.  The professional company they keep.  The on going education that a full time REALTOR takes is typically more than the State requires.  Even the amount and type of information that they provide to potential clients on a regular basis.

These are my seven tips for you based on clients, friends and family.  You have a tough choice before you.  Some where along the way you will need a REALTOR.  Take the time to learn who your working with.  Ask questions, conduct job interviews.  A REALTOR that does not want to be a part of your interview process…hmmmm…you make the call.  It’s your dream, who is going to be a part of your team to make it a reality?

Live Life to the Fullest,

S.C.