17 March 2022

Choosing the right realtor can make a big difference when it comes to your success in the real estate market. You may be asking yourself, but how can I make sure that I’m picking the right person for the job? I’ve already begun working with a realtor, is there anything I should look out for? 

To help you make the right choice there are some clear red flags that should alert you to consider making a change. On the flip side, there are an equal number of green flags that should tell you that you’re making the right choice, those are the realtors that you want on your side! 

Communication. You have to fight to maintain the red flag realtor’s attention, they don’t have the time to answer questions or check in with you. You may communicate more with an assistant or a colleague of theirs than with them directly. The green flag realtor is present, they ensure that they touch base with you so that you’re on the same page, always trying their best to make time for you. This is especially important if this is your first time working through the process of buying or selling your home.

Professionalism. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being on familiar terms with your realtor, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with them so if you get along well that’s great! But it’s important that your realtor knows when to put on their professional hat especially when putting together an offer or advising you on the list price of your home. The green flag realtor will be able to maintain a friendly relationship with you while also getting the job done in a professional manner.

Attitude. The red flag realtor is always negative, bringing you down and filling your head with doubt. Instead of using creativity and forward thinking they get stuck in the problem, convinced that that’s all there is. The green flag realtor maintains a positive outlook and works to create solutions rather than dwelling on problems.

Knowledge. The green flag realtor does their best to keep up to date on what’s happening in the market. They’re a wealth of knowledge to help guide you in this process and if they don’t know something they work to find out! Of course, no one can be an expert on every subject, so the green flag realtor will also refer you to professionals in fields that they aren’t as familiar with it. Be it a home inspector, electrician, mortgage specialist… you name it! By contrast when the red flag realtor doesn’t know the answer to the question, they either lie or shrug and tell you to find out for yourself.

Offers. Most of us have been there at one point or another, there are more than one property we’re interested in but the timing doesn’t work out. Maybe the offers for house one overlaps with those for house two, what do you do? What if you offer on one but don’t win? You lose out on both. A scary trend I’ve seen with a handful of realtors is that they will advise their clients to offer on more than one property at once. This is a huge red flag that can land you in some seriously hot water, if your realtor suggests that you do this run!

Who you choose to represent you in the real estate market really does matter. Working with the right realtor can quite honestly make or break your success and experience in this difficult market. Looking out for red flags as you interact with prospective candidates can help you make the right decision. At the end of the day you want the best person in your corner fighting for your interest, so go with the green flag realtor every single time.

Hannah Park

REALTOR®

226.314.1600

view profile