Part 2: How To Find The Perfect Realtor
Home, Massachusetts
Part 2: How To Find The Perfect Realtor
April 30, 2021
You can also find the Vlog Series on YouTube (see below!).
Should you interview more than one realtor? How do you even find the perfect fit? What factors do you need to consider when building your house hunting team?
There is no “One Size Fits All” realtor, so it’s really important to think about who you want to work with when looking for your first home. You really want to find someone who is not only knowledgeable and communicative, but who also has your best interests in mind.
And if you don’t find the right fit the first time? It’s okay to look elsewhere… that’s what we did at least and trust me when I say that taking the time to find the right fit, is 1000% worth it!
If you haven’t checked out my latest blog post kicking off our home-buying journey in New England, I’ll have it linked below. This entry is Part 2: How to Find the Perfect Realtor, stay tuned for:
Part 1: We’re Homeowners
Part 2: How to Find the Perfect Realtor
Part 3: Our House Hunting Checklist: How to Find Your Dream Home
Part 4: Submitting Our First Offer On a House!
Part 5: Offer Accepted! Now We Wait...
The First Open House
Once we were preapproved, our next step really was to find the right realtor, but before we did, we got distracted by a new house listing in one of our ideal neighborhoods. We decided to attend our first open house because we figured, what was the harm in taking a look?
In hindsight, I would advise finding a realtor before attending open houses. Not only can they be there to advocate for you and ask questions you might not have thought of, but if you happen to stumble on a property that you'd like to put an offer on, you’ll be prepared to do so immediately.
We didn’t really know what to expect. Since the pandemic was still ongoing, we had to keep our masks on the entire time, and they were only letting in one group at a time. There was probably about 40+ people when we got there with more people arriving after us.
After looking around the property, we admittedly got first-time excitement because Lucas was about ready to put down an offer right then and there. I, being the over analytical person that I am, I wanted to sleep on it and also get a second or third opinion too. Since it was the first house we saw, I didn’t want to jump the gun too quick.
The competitive housing market can really get your head spinning, forcing you to throw around all kinds of scenarios in your head. At the end of the day, we ended up making the right decision in walking away from that one. Not only was the closet/storage space not ideal, it was just overall a bit more snug than we wanted.
We Broke Up with Our First Realtor
So yeah… you read that title correctly. I’ll explain.
Because of our open house experience, it did motivate us to connect with a realtor right away. We wanted to be ready when the right house did come along. At first, we connected with a realtor who was recommended to us by one of Lucas’s coworkers. He was honestly really great and knowledgeable. He was able to get us set up on the MLS system fairly quickly, but truthfully, I felt like there was still something missing…
Hear me out… I do have a handful of realtors and loan officers in my family, so I understand that my perspective may be a little biased. But I truly believe that there’s a difference between a realtor selling you a “house” or selling you a “home.” I also believe there’s a difference between a realtor who does everything right, and a realtor who goes above and beyond.
Because this was also our first-time buying a home, we wanted to shoot for the latter experience. Our original realtor even admitted that he also felt like he wasn’t the right fit, so we parted ways with no hard feelings at all.
We Found the Perfect Fit!
We then found our realtor, and working with her was EXACTLY the experience we were hoping for! Not only was she extremely available to call/text/email whenever we needed to contact her, she was also able to walk us through the homebuying process in a way where she earned our full confidence the entire way through!
To avoid an awkward realtor break-up like ours, here are:
5 Things You Should Ask Yourself Before Hiring a Realtor:
1. Do They Have Enough Time For You?
The Housing Market never sleeps. New listings can pop up at any moment, or maybe you work a 9-5 and are only available to tour houses in the evenings. Can your realtor respond in a timely manner or are they taking days to return your call? Are they able to get you into a house showing even before the open house?
2. Are They Selling You a House? Or a Home?
Maybe you really are just looking for a house, maybe it’s an investment property, or something temporary -- Are they asking the right questions in terms of renovation potential? Comparable homes in the area?
Or if you’re like us and you’re looking for a home -- Are they taking the time to ask you what your favorite room in the house is, if you enjoy going for walks outside, if either of you work from home and need office space?
In our situation, we were looking for a realtor who was willing to get to know us beyond the square footage of our home. But no matter what situation you’re in, make sure you find the right fit.
3. Are They Setting Expectations Up For You In The Way That You Prefer?
If you’re like me, you might like to know what to expect next. What’s the offer process going to be like? How competitive is the market? If the sellers accept the offer, then what’s next? If they don’t accept the offer, what are our options?
Or if you’re not like me, and you’d rather have the realtor walk you through the process in real-time (because learning about the what if’s can be overwhelming)... that’s okay too! Either way, just make sure you find a realtor who can be on the same page as you!
4. Do You Feel a Connection With Them Even Before Meeting Them?
First impressions are EVERYTHING. We didn’t even meet our realtor in-person before we were ready and comfortable with her enough to put in an offer on a home. We hope that you can aspire to find that kind of connection too, because trust me when I say that that level of trust will be needed if there are any bumps along your homebuying journey.
Our realtor is super easy to talk to over the phone, over email, and in-person. She also made a great first impression through her online presence (branding, website, Instagram, etc). Go with your gut on this one!
5. Do Your Friends or Family Members Have Any Realtor Recommendations?
If you trust your friend, and your friend trusts a realtor, odds are you’ll likely trust them too. Pay attention to recommendations, and take the time to read reviews left by past clients. A realtor can spend thousands of dollars on effective marketing techniques, but there’s nothing like the power of Word of Mouth Referrals.
Our realtor was fantastic at leading us through the homebuying process as first-time homeowners. Not once have we felt looked down on for asking questions, and she did a great job at writing out what to expect next. There were moments where we let her take the reigns, and she never led us astray. I hope for everyone to get to have the same experience that we got! She was wonderful!
We learned that finding the right person to represent you and have your best interests in mind is so important during your first-time buying a house. It goes beyond just the ability to find you the right house. You want to have a great experience.
Hopefully these tips will help you find your right fit. And if you’re in the Massachusetts/New England area looking for a home, look up Krista Matthews - you’re welcome ;)
‘Til Part 3,
Gen
