The pursuit to find a good realtor in Texas can be disappointing at times. But if you follow some clear steps, it will make your life a little easier on your quest to find a good realtor in Texas.
Most of the large, big name brokers are pumping thousands of dollars into advertising every month in order to ensure that the agents in their office are the ones most visible in the marketplace. They over saturate their markets by advertising online, within the Yellow Pages, or even placing giant billboards on some of the most highly trafficked places in Los Angles.
However, the realtors that are being advertised through these popular platforms are not always the cream of the crop, and they might not be the best fit for your personal circumstances. This article is going to really focus on how you can find a good realtor in Texas.
[PLEASE NOTE: If you are in need of selling your Texas house fast and don’t have 3 to 6 months to wait and sell with a realtor, we might be able to assist you by buying the property from you. We are able to make a cash offer in just 24 hours for your home in its “as-is” condition – so you won’t make any repairs. ]
The Key To Find A Good Realtor In Texas – Get Good Reviews… Real Good Reviews
The hard reality is that most reviews online for realtors are very easily distorted, and often times can be more like a paid advertisement. You want to make sure that you are getting genuine reviews from the agents that you consider, and any agent that is reputable will gladly provide you with some recent clients that you can speak with.
Reviews are a great way to get feedback from other people who have experienced the services of the real estate professionals in your specific market.
Another way to get more information on a potential agent is to do a search in google by typing the [name of an agent + reviews] and then see what comes up in Google. If you start to come across lots of negative reviews from various sites like realtor.com, yelp.com and others… then that might be a bad sign. One thing to look out for is to see if that agent tried to address any of the bad reviews and engage in fixing some of the situations that people were experiencing. Because when someone is active enough, they are bound to get a negative review here and there, its just the nature of the game. But see if they are trying to ratify the negative reviews and make things right.
Specific Questions To Ask To Find A Good Realtor in Texas
Whether you decide to talk to the agent directly or even some of their former clients, there are a number of open ended questions you can ask to dig a little deeper to try and get a feel for whether or not that agent is the right fit for you. Such as:
- From past clients, was there a specific part in the process (either with buying or selling) when a client was particularly happy or unhappy about?
- How many transactions have you done in the last 6 months?
- What is the median asking price from your listings?
- What is the median sales price from your listings?
You want to make sure that you are going with a realtor that has experience with houses that are very similar to your own.
Checking The Realtor’s Credentials
Make sure that you check with the California Bureau of Real Estate to make sure that your agents license is in good standing. On their website, you can also look into see if there are any actions or complaints against their licensing.
Definitely make sure that you ask the realtor how long they have been actively buying and selling houses for. Ask them how long they have been with the agency that they’re currently at, and what other agencies they have worked at before, too – which will be key to find a good realtor in Texas.
Most importantly, you want to find a good realtor in Texas that you can trust and that you feel comfortable with and confident in. Keeping consistent communication is very important when you are trying to sell your house. For most people, their home is their biggest asset and the largest investment to their name, so you need to have confidence in who is handling such an vital matter. A realtor that is actively looking for a buyer for you, should be able to answer questions like:
- How many inquiries were made about your house this week?
- How many of such inquiries were from people that are likely to actually purchase (versus just browsing)?
- Which other houses in my area are also on the market? What are those houses listed at?
Ask The Realtor What Their Game Plan Is
Sometimes it is best to just be direct and to the point. When you want to just cut to the chase, then directly ask prospective agents, “How to you pan to sell my home and what are you going to do what goes above and beyond what any other agent can do, too?” Wait and see how they answer you.
The best ones will be able to provide you with an in-depth marketing plan and will show you how they plan to advertise your house out on the market in a huge way, so its more than worth the challenge to find a good realtor in Texas.
Going With The Lowest Priced Realtor Isn’t Always Best
Often times Texas home sellers just want to go with the realtor that agrees to take the lowest commission, meaning they are not intended to find a good realtor in Texas.
It’s easy to see why people do this, 3% is a lot to pay someone to help you sell your house (and then of course an additional 3% will go to the realtor that finds the buyer). Especially in Texas where the median range of houses is upwards of half a million dollars – so obviously you want to keep every bit of that, that you can. But make sure that you are really doing your research before you agree to go a realtor for only a flat fee agent… because that more than likely means the service that you’ll get is going to be at a lower caliber of service – and the point here is to find a good realtor in Texas.
Some of the best realtors in Texas have the ability to sell properties faster and at a higher price because of their excellent marketing plans they’ve established. So even if you’re able to find a realtor that agrees to sell your home for set 1.5% fee, its important to really weigh out the options and see if that 1.% difference will outweigh the savings over the long haul.
The same can be said when you sell your property to a local home buying company like Savannah Properties. Sometimes he highest offer isn’t necessarily your best option. You need to take a deeper look at look at all of the terms in the deal that a home buying company offers you – that way you can ensure they will meet all of their agreements such as closing on-time. Every month that you keep your house when you no longer want it, will cost you in term of the mortgage, insurance, utilities and taxes if you continue to hold the house.
So make sure that you are taking a hard look at an agent that offers a low, flat fee. They might just be a rookie that is trying to get their first sale which will end up leaving you dollars on the table. A vetted and experienced realtor that is able to make the sale of your house a smooth ride is going to provide you the most value in the long run.
So be thorough in your research to find a good realtor in Texas that is best for you!
If you know that selling with a realtor isn’t the way you want to go, and you just need to sell your house fast… we can make you a fair cash offer for your house in 24 hours or less.