From Buyincomeproperties.com

How To Articles
How To Find a Real Estate Agent
By BuyIncomeProperties.com
Sep 23, 2006, 10:20


Tips on How To Find a Real Estate Agent


A real estate agent fulfills the desire of a buyer looking for a dream house in a community or neighborhood. This is not an easy task and requires a lot of footwork and time. The real estate agent has to keep both the buyer and the seller satisfied with the feeling that they have made a great deal. Only then does he earn his commission. Since the real estate agent is the most important person to help you get a dream house, you should spend some time and find a real estate agent who knows his/her job well. 

A real estate investor purchases properties at low rates, spruces them up, and sells them at a profit. He can afford to take his time while selling, as he has purchased the property by investing his finances for better future returns. A real estate agent is basically a go-between for a buyer and seller of the property. To find a real estate agent who appreciates your needs as a real estate investor can really be a big deal. If both of you are willing to see each other's point of view and help each other, it can become a very profitable symbiotic relationship.

Understanding the real estate agent
A real estate agent's income depends on the foreclosure deal between the buyer and seller. The faster he or she matches them, the quicker he or she can make his or her money. An agent makes more money dealing in well-maintained houses and people with good credit. Buying and selling real estate is his bread and butter. He is not into the real estate business for charity but to earn a living. A lot of work goes into putting the deal together. The agent has to first scour through listings, make appointment to see houses, look for buyers who want that particular type of house, show them around, negotiate the right price to match the expectations of both parties, arrange legal procedures of property transfer, and arrange mortgage or loans before even thinking of his commission. 

If a real estate investor, after making the agent go-through the entire process, refuses to make an offer or makes an unrealistically low offer, it can be very frustrating for an agent. The agent's time and money both get wasted, which is why he does not prefer to deal with real estate investors and deals with regular buyers instead. Not many would work for a week and then not get paid. As a real estate investor, do keep this in mind, before starting to find a real estate agent.

Expectations From An Agent
A real estate investor scours many homes before zeroing in on a particular property that has a potential for profit. It becomes very difficult for an agent to go all over town with you, before you reach the right buying option. It is a waste of time for him to show each and every property and compare all of them. It is always better to find a real estate agent who will provide you with the listings and submit offers on the chosen property. This will prove mutually beneficial to both the agent and the investor.

How To Find A Real Estate Agent
It is quite difficult to find a real estate agent who will work for a real estate investor. It is very important to tell the real estate agent beforehand what your expectations are and how you expect him to work. Ask the agent to provide you with lists of fixer-uppers and foreclosures on a daily basis on some remuneration. He/she should not be made to go house viewing of each and every listed house, unless you are really interested in a particular deal. You can ask for occasional comps and submission of your offer for purchase. Since an investor offers low deals, many deals are turned down. Compensate the agent adequately for the work done and extra percentage or some amount for a closed property deal. Be honest as an investor, since you will be making very few deals due to the low purchase offers. Find a real estate agent located in your vicinity to save traveling time, as that too helps in building trust.

How To Work Well With An Agent
After you find a real estate agent, start working with him, keeping the value of his time in mind. He/she scouts for a house around town, spends hours preparing contracts, talking on the phone, and pulling comparable sales and listings for one single deal. Show consideration for his time and hard work, and compensate him adequately. Most banks pay a minimum commission to real estate agents, so even if an investor makes low offers, the agent can still expect decent money. 

It is easy to find a real estate agent, if a real estate investor is considerate to let them make money on the deals in proportion to their time and money spent on finding it.




© Copyright 2004 by Buyincomeproperties..com