get specific reasons why the agent is great—has the person giving the recommendation personally used the agent? What was that experience like? What approach did the agent use to sell their home? Get details. You can also look for reviews online; Realtor.com is a great place to start. And remember, you’re not just looking for positive responses. You want to make sure the agent’s got a significant online presence and, of course, specializes in selling expired listings. You should also check out the licensing authority in your state. You want an agent who’s licensed, has a good track record, and has been in the business a while. There are a few different credentials to keep an eye out for, too: • CRS®: This stands for Certified Residential Specialist. An agent with this certification went through extra training to learn how to work with residential real estate. • ABR®: This is an abbreviation for Accredited Buyer’s Representative. In this case, the agent’s extra training was in how to represent buyers during a real estate transaction. • SRES®: RES®:This acronym means an agent is a Seniors Real Estate Agent. They are specifically trained to help both buyers and sellers ages 50 and older. In addition, if your research shows an agent is a Realtor™ (capital R), they’re a National Association of Realtors® member. The advantage of this is that they’re held to a specific code of ethics and standards, which can definitely be reassuring when you're making such a major life decision!
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