6 Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Real Estate Agent

It's important to interview an agent before hiring one - in an interview you can find out their record for buying and selling homes, find out what area they're most comfortable and familiar working in, and if they'll be a good fit overall for your needs. 

Here are 6 questions to ask each and every real estate agent you interview:

1. What advertising and marketing plans do you have for my home? Will you list my home online and in print? (Agents should recommend that you list your home for sale in local newspapers and on popular online listing sites such as Zillow, Trulia, and Realbird). In other words, how will you make sure that my home is sold in a timely manner and for a good price?
   
   
2. What is your personal track record and reputation in the real estate world? It’s important for agents you’re interviewing to bring evidence of their success in selling and/or buying homes (depending on their specialty). Additionally, the agent should bring a reference list that gives you contact information for previous clients.
   
   
3. How many homes have you sold/bought in my area? It is very important that agents be familiar with the area that they’re working in so that they can provide you with an accurate and reasonable estimate for your listing price and can give you a timeline for selling your home.
   
   
4. When your listings sell, how close is the selling price to the asking price (on average)?
   
   
5. How long does it take for your listings to sell, on average?
   
   
6. Are you currently working with other buyers/sellers? If the agent is working with both buyers and sellers, this could increase your chances of selling your home quickly, as the agent may be able to pair you up with another client.
   
   
7. If I’m unhappy with the work you are doing, what are my options? It is important to think ahead and plan for all possible scenarios. Make sure that the agent you hire is willing to take the time and effort to make sure that you get what you want.

By asking and evaluating the responses that agents have to these questions, you will be able to determine whether or not the agent is a good fit for you and whether or not he/she will be able to find you the home you want.

4 Important Reasons To Use A Real Estate Agent

 

 

 

Buying or selling a home is a major financial and emotional undertaking. Find out the importance of having a real estate professional by your side to help you through the process.

1. Better Access / More Convenience

A real estate agent’s full-time job is to act as a liaison between buyers and sellers. This means that he or she will have easy access to all other properties listed by other agents. Both the buyer’s and seller’s agent work full time as real estate agents and they know what needs to be done to get a deal together. For example, if you are looking to buy a home, a real estate agent will track down homes that meet your criteria, get in touch with sellers’ agents and make appointments for you to view the homes. If you are buying on your own, you will have to play this telephone tag yourself. This may be especially difficult if you’re shopping for homes that are for sale by owner.

Similarly, if you are looking to sell your home yourself, you will have to solicit calls from interested parties, answer questions and make appointments. Keep in mind that potential buyers are likely to move on if you tend to be busy or don’t respond quickly enough. Alternatively, you may find yourself making an appointment and rushing home, only to find that no one shows up.

2. Negotiating Is Tricky Business

Because of the emotional value often wrapped up in a home, negotiating a dollar value for it can be tricky business. As a buyer, you may despise a home’s wood-paneled walls, shag carpet and lurid orange kitchen, but expressing this the seller could be dangerous. If you are working with an agent, you can express your dislike for the current owner’s decorating skills to your agent without hurting anyone’s feelings. For all you know, the owner’s late mother may have lovingly chosen the décor. Your real estate agent can convey your concerns to the sellers’ agent. Acting as a messenger, the agent may be in a better position to negotiate a discount without ruffling the homeowner’s feathers.

A real estate agent can stay strong during negotiations and keep buyers from arguing a price too much or buyers from getting upset. Putting a price tag on a home is a difficult task and having an objective third party there to help with the process is always a good idea.

3. Contracts Can Be Hard To Handle

If you decide to buy or sell a home, the offer to purchase contract is there to protect you and ensure that you are able to back out of the deal if certain conditions aren’t met. For example, if you plan to buy a home with a mortgage but you fail to make financing one of the conditions of the sale–and you aren’t approved for the mortgage–you can lose your deposit on the home and could even be sued by the seller for failing to fulfill your end of the contract.

An experienced real estate agent deals with the same contracts and conditions on a regular basis, and is familiar with which conditions should be used, when they can safely be removed and how to use the contract to protect you, whether you’re buying or selling your home.

4. Real Estate Agents Are On Your Side

Real estate agents are there to help you - whether to help you find your perfect home or see you through a sale. We want to see you get the home that you want for the best price.

Working alone, however, puts you at a bigger risk of dealing with buyers or sellers who could possibly stand to gain more by lying. While we would all like to think that no one would lie about a home’s substandard condition or any other defect, there’s always that possibility.

Working with a real estate agent gives you peace of mind knowing that there is always someone on your side throughout the process of buying or selling a home. Buying or selling is a difficult task and it’s a great feeling knowing your agent will always be there for you!

In the end it truly pays to have a professional on your side. Having someone with all the knowhow and experience necessary to deal with the confusing housing market can be priceless! To learn more about the importance of a real estate agent, go here.

 

Does Buying Green Mean Buying Smart?

 

 

Looking to the future, 68% of builders surveyed by National Association Home Builders said that the new homes they expect to build in 2015 will include even more green features and technology, based on increasing home buyer demand.

From 2012 to 2015, builders predict consumer demand will continue to increase for green features that include:

• High performance, multi-paned windows with low-E (low energy conducting) glass
• And windows with an insulating layer of inert gases between panes of glass
• Engineered wood beams, joists and trusses
• More efficient heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems
• Increased demand for water-saving features such as dual-flush toilets and low-flow faucets

According to The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which oversees the Energy Star program, more than 1 million Energy Star Certified homes have been built by 8,500 participating builders since the program was launched. Last year, the EPA estimates that owners of Energy Star Certified new homes saved a collective $270 million in energy costs and reduced greenhouse gases by an amount produced by 370,000 vehicles.

What does that translate to for owners of Energy Star homes?

The EPA says homeowners in hot and humid climates can expect to save $700 per year in utility costs.

Even if you only plan to live in your house for five years, such savings add up quickly. Over time, your savings on maintenance and energy can mean thousands of dollars you retain.

Come time to sell, a newer, more energy-efficient home is typically worth more than an older house that lacks such energy-saving features. Cost savings while you own your new home plus probable higher value at resale are an unbeatable combination.

Given that value proposition, let’s take a look at what it takes for a new home to earn Energy Star certification:

6 Musts for an Energy Star Certified New Home

1. High-Performance Insulation and Air Sealants.
2. High-Performance Windows.
3. Tightly-Sealed Ductwork and Tight Construction Standards.
4. High Efficiency Heating and Cooling Systems.
5. Energy Efficient Kitchen Appliances, Lighting and Water Heaters.
6. Expert, Independent Verification by Home Energy Raters.

Building science and technologies have made huge strides in recent years. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a typical new home built today is 30 percent more energy efficient than a home built just 5 years ago–and no comparison to homes that are 10, 15 or 20 years old or more.

Today’s new homes are more energy efficient and less expensive to operate. They also provide better indoor air quality and year-round, draft-free comfort. With better HVAC, problems common in older homes (such as moisture condensation on windows, peeling paint or even mold) have been greatly reduced or eliminated.

Higher indoor air quality also means less dust and pollen that can trigger allergy and breathing problems, especially in children. If saving thousands of dollars in costs over the life of your new home isn’t sufficient incentive, you can feel comfortable knowing that you and your family will breathe easier in a new home as well. For more information about green homes, visit www.realtor.com.