How to Select Real Estate Agent when Renting or Buying Properties?Posted by Tom Clark on July 16th, 2019 Estate agents may be a \\'dime a dozen\\' but even if you have a whole lot of options in regard to estate agents, you still have to be sure that you choose the best one. Not all estate agents are equal, after all, and finding one who can give you the ideal service you require isn\\'t that easy if you don\\'t know what to look for and if you aren\\'t sure of your criteria. You want an estate agent who has your best interests at heart, of course, but you also want an estate agent who is well-versed in the property market and can point you in the proper direction based on their knowledge, experience, and qualifications. So how do you know that the estate agent you\\'re considering is a good choice? Here\\'s the best way to select an estate agent if you\\'re looking for property to buy or rent. Word of mouth and recommendations There\\'s nothing like a good, solid recommendation if you want to make sure that you are working with a proper estate agent. Word of mouth does matter, and if you can ask your family members, friends, and colleagues for recommendations, this will help you narrow down your search. Another thing you could do is go around your area and have a look round – \\'sold\\' and \\'for sale\\' signs can give you a good indication of estate agents or agencies which are active in your local area as well. For example, if you are eyeing an area like Bournemouth or you are looking for estate agents in Bournemouth, you can do a search online using that specific location, or you can go around yourself and do a visual check of agents who specialise in the area. Check their qualifications and credentials A good estate agent should be a member of the Property Ombudsman Scheme, and this allows anyone complaining about them to seek an investigation in case of wrongdoing. And here\\'s another thing – any reputable and qualified estate agent or agency will also be a member of a trade body. This means that they have to follow particular codes of conduct when it comes to clients; this also means that they will have a higher degree of professionalism and will perform the appropriate due diligence in finding the right property for you. Carry Out Comprehensive Research Owing to ready availability of diverse options, choosing a real estate agent has become increasingly difficult and time-consuming. Well, rather than arriving at a decision randomly, which might pave way for disappointment, or in other words, waste your time as well as money, make sure to carry out comprehensive research. Before scheduling appointment, visit a professional’s official website, and check their services, level of experience, reviews left by former clients, etc. You can also have one-on-one interview session, where you can ask how exactly the concerned real-estate agent would fulfill your requirements. Completing this step would let you get hold of property of your dreams. Now isn’t that simply great? Like it? Share it! More by this author |