Real estate is considered to be one of the most profitable investments in the modern world. However, buying and selling properties is no easy feat. You need to handle many legal and financial aspects that could easily confuse those new to the Chilliwack real estate market. This is why it is important to find the right real estate agent because they will be able to guide you throughout the process to make sure that the sales and purchases go smoothly without any hiccups.
What Does A Real Estate Agent Do?
Before going into the specifics of choosing a realtor, let us first take a look at what is actually expected from a realtor.
The primary role of a real estate agent is to help people buy or sell properties at the best possible rates. The right realtor will provide you with the necessary details on the current market condition, the going rates of properties, the legal perspective of real estate, and the buying and selling procedure. In addition to this, they will also direct you to other professionals that you might need to ensure a successful property purchase or sale. However, depending on their role, real estate agents can be categorized into two types.
1.Listing Agents
Realtors will help sell your property by guiding you through the selling procedure and ensuring that you get the best offers.
2. Buying Agents
Realtors will help you purchase a property by guiding you through the buying procedure and making sure that you find the ideal property at the best possible rate.
Well, now that you know what to expect from the realtors, let us take a look at how you can choose the best Chilliwack realtors to help you with your real estate transactions.
How To Choose The Right Real Estate Agent?
1.First and foremost, look into how much you can afford
When it comes to real estate transactions, the first thing you need to do is decide on much you can afford. Because those who head into property hunting without knowing how much they can spend, fall into trouble along the way. So look into your finances and speak to your lenders.
But what is even better is a pre-approved mortgage. Because a pre-approved mortgage will give you an idea about what you can afford to spend when buying the property. Knowing this will also help you find the property that best fits your needs and budget, rather than having to overspend or underspend on a property. So calculating your mortgage is essential. And more importantly, a pre-approved mortgage will tell the sellers that you are serious about this purchase.
2. Contact your family and friends for references
If you are looking to find the right real estate agent, your friends and family are a must-seek out. If they have worked with realtors, they will be able to share their first-hand experience: which would be tough to find from elsewhere. Also, you get to ask and clarify all your concerns without any restrictions whatsoever. And then using this knowledge, you can filter out your options to shortlist the right realtor.
If you are seeking the help of Google, then make it a point to search for Realtors: look for the capital R. This will list down only the realtors who are associated with the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) because they are lawfully bound to abide by the code of ethics of groups.
And if you are thorough with your search, you will also be able to find the designations and credentials of the realtors being listed. Based on what your expectations are, you can then go ahead and pick the right real estate agent that suits you best.
3. Do Your Research
Regardless of how stellar other people’s references are, make sure you do your own research about the realtor options you have. You need to start at least a month before your pre-approved mortgage is finalized so that you can get started right away. Otherwise, you might have to take extra time to complete your background checks on the realtors.
So go through customer reviews and testimonials, and draw your own picture about the real estate agents you are considering. However, do not get deterred by a single negative comment. Instead, go through them all and create the big picture so that you will know best. But also remember, too many negative reviews are definitely a red flag.
And as time-consuming as this may sound, trust us when we say that the investment is worthwhile. Because your realtor is someone you will work with throughout the transaction, you need to find the best agent to help you out.
Schedule a discussion with the shortlisted agents
Now that you have done your research, you may have a few realtors in mind. So, go ahead and contact them. Because there is no better way to get to know your agents right?
During these discussions, make it a point to discuss your goals and expectations to verify whether these potential realtors can help you meet them. Look into how thorough they are with their work and what amount of effort they will put into providing a personalized experience for you. And more importantly, do not hesitate to make any clarifications you have with regard to the entire process because you might not get another chance.
4. Request for customer testimonials
When it comes to choosing the right real estate agent, it is important to go through their past work. And customer testimonials are the best way to assess your potential realtor’s work. The right realtor will never hesitate to direct you to their past customers so that you can gain insights into what they have been doing over the years.
5. Review your contract with care
Once you have gone through the selection process, you might decide to settle with an agent that you feel is the right realtor for you. In that case, they will draw up a contract. Do review this contract carefully, with a keen eye. Otherwise, misinterpretations could lead to misunderstandings later on, thereby lousy faith.
So now that you know how to choose the right realtor, these are the few questions to ask your real estate agents. we are certain that your real estate transaction will go smoothly—wishing you nothing but the best!