Step 1 to Buying a Home: Hire a REALTOR®

If you're like most people, you started your search for a home online. Today, more than 90% of homebuyers start and conduct the majority of their home search online. With so much information readily available online, clients sometimes ask us, "Why should we hire a Realtor?" There are many reasons to hire a Realtor, the most important of which is education & experience. Considering home ownership will likely be your single largest investment, hiring a highly experienced advisor to work with you and ensure your best interest is the priority every step of the way is a very smart decision.

Plus, a Realtor can set you up for automatic search via the Northwest MLS (Multiple Listing System). This means that each day (or how often you want to receive the search results) you’ll be emailed a list of all new properties matching your criteria or price reductions which now put a property in your budget. This is a HUGE time saver. And if you’re in a market, like Tacoma, where great properties sell in a matter of days, it can be an enormous advantage to be able to get in and to view a property within a day or two of it going on the market.

So, how do you find and pick a Realtor? Well, hopefully you’ll contact our team at (253) 656-6966 or complete the form below so we can meet in person and see if we would be a good fit together. Remember, not all Realtors are right for all people. You need to find someone who is not only great at his or her job, but someone you like, as you’re going to be spending a lot of time with that person. So get together and have coffee and chat. See if you click. If so, you need to determine if that person has the experience, customer service and understanding of the market that you’re looking for. Start out by noticing how quickly the Realtor responds to your initial phone call or email. If the Realtor doesn’t get back to you within a maximum of 24 hours, that’s a bad sign. This business moves fast and deals can be lost if your Realtor doesn’t respond quickly on your behalf during negotiations.

Second, interview the Realtor by asking them very specific questions. Click here to read a post with our recommended interview questions.

Third, expect to sign a buyer representation agreement. Legally before you disclose confidential information to your Realtor, you should have a signed buyer representation agreement. That helps to insure that your Realtor will keep private information confidential.