Association of REALTORS®). Tip 5: Look at the Agent’s Recent Home Sales and Current Listings Look at their recent home sales. How successful have they been? Do they specialize in the type of home you’re interested in purchasing? Th is is key, because their successful track record in home sales and specialization means that there’s a good chance that they’ll have plenty of properties for you to look at, as well as get you an “in” with the sellers to negotiate a great deal for your home purchase. Check out an agent’s listings online, says Stephen Brobeck, director of the Consumer Federation of America (Bankrate). Some spe cifi c places you can look include the real estate agency’s website as well as Realtor.com. On such sites, you can use a searchable online database of properties available. Adept and tech-savvy agents will list their sales and information online because they know that most buyers start their search online. When you view an agent’s listings, look at how closely they mirror the type of property you wish to purchase, including area/ neighborhood as well as price range. Tip 6: Reach Out to the Agent’s Recent Clients Both excellent and less-than-stellar real estate agents will receive plenty of feedback and reviews; however, not all will have recommendations or referrals. You want the latter. Look into any recommendations and positive reviews. You can research them yourself, or simply ask the agent to provide a list of what they have listed and sold within in the past year, with the accompanying contact information. Contact the reviewers if you can, so you can get a clearer picture of who the agent is and how they work. Ask the reviewers what it was like working with the 31
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