When Sarah Meyer and her boyfriend, Ricardo Vieira, decided this spring that they wanted to buy a condo in Northern Virginia, they didn't expect that finding a real estate agent would be difficult.
But after spending three weekends interviewing five potential agents who came highly recommended by friends, the couple, first-time home buyers, realized the process would be no cakewalk. They finally chose one, but he sent them e-mails of single-family homes for sale instead of condominiums. He found them properties far from their desired location along Metro's Orange Line. And he did not allocate sufficient time for them.
Questions For and About Your Agent
Questions to ask friends or colleagues who recommend a real estate agent:
• How satisfied were you with the agent?
• Did you feel the representation was good?
• Did the agent keep you informed at each step of the process?
• Was the agent accessible and reliable?
• Was the agent helpful? In what ways?
• How well does the agent know various neighborhoods?
• What mistakes did the agent make?
• In what area did the agent lack knowledge?
Questions to ask potential real estate agents:
• Are you willing to communicate in my preferred way (phone or e-mail or both)?
• How long have you been in the business?
• How many transactions do you handle annually?
• How much time do you expect to spend with me and working on my behalf?
• What advanced training do you have? What professional awards have you won?
• Can you provide references?
Sellers can also ask:
• What advertising mediums will be used to sell the house?
• How often will open houses be held? Does the house always have to be ready for showing?
• Will the home be listed on the Internet? Will that include photos?
• How many homes have you sold in my neighborhood?
• How much do you think my home is worth and how did you come up with that number?
• How will you help me prepare my home for sale?
Buyers can also ask:
• How well do you know the area?
• Will you show me properties beyond those listed by your firm?
• Which inspectors, appraisers or mortgage bankers will you refer me to?
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"We did not connect," Meyer recalled, adding, "He probably had bigger fish to fry."
Eventually, they found another agent and bought a condo in West Falls Church.
With about 3 million licensed real estate agents in the United States, according to the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials, finding the one who will best suit your buying or selling needs can be confusing and challenging.
Further complicating the decision is the barrage of direct mail -- often featuring professional sports team schedules, school calendars or refrigerator magnets -- that many agents send regularly to residents in targeted neighborhoods to solicit business.
As a result, buyers and sellers frequently select agents in a haphazard way, experts say. Out of kindness or convenience, they may hire their friend, neighbor, colleague's spouse, or the agent who sends the most fliers, without knowing much about the person's qualifications.
The most common mistake is hiring an agent too quickly, "before knowing enough about his or her honesty and integrity, and about whether he or she will perform as you want them to," said Gary W. Eldred, author of "The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make (& How to Avoid Them)" (John Wiley & Sons, 2001).
Consider Rachel Posell and Steve Greenstein, a Silver Spring couple who in 2002 wanted to buy a home in Takoma Park. They picked their real estate agent on the recommendation of Posell's best friend. But they never investigated his credentials. He failed to show them any houses in Maryland, they later learned, because he was not licensed there. In the end, they gave up on buying a house and rented in Silver Spring for a year.
To find the best agent to suit your buying or selling needs, begin by taking the hiring process seriously, said Shelley O'Hara, co-author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying and Selling a Home" (Alpha Books, 2003). "The decision is important because you'll be with that person and they can advise you on selling or buying prices, on financing, and on negotiating with the buyer or seller," she said.
Then ask yourself what you would like your agent to do for you, suggested Eldred. Do you want that person to familiarize you with various neighborhoods, or just to alert you when homes come on the market? Do you want someone who will advise you on how to prepare your house for sale or will you do that preparation yourself? Do you need someone to help you find an inspector, an appraiser and a mortgage company, or mostly to write up your contract and help you make your bid?
Once you know the answers to those questions, seek recommendations from friends, family, co-workers, members of neighborhood associations or religious organizations, advised O'Hara. But before following up on any names, ask people what they liked and disliked about the people they mention.
Another information source for possible agents is the Internet. For example, members of online community discussion groups can ask one another about the pros and cons of specific local agents. Some Web sites such as www.reals.com feature directories of agents across the country.
Of course, it's possible to randomly meet agents who turn out to be helpful. That happened to D.C. resident Beth Hanak and her husband, Dan Orcutt, who met their Long & Foster Real Estate agent at a condo open house in 1999. Hanak was impressed that the woman talked to each person in the room. Though the couple didn't buy that property, they contacted the agent afterward and met with her to discuss their housing desires, budget and financing issues. The agent found a condo in Van Ness that appealed to Hanak and Orcutt, and she instructed them to put in an aggressive bid against three others. She "got it for us," Hanak said.
