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 REALTORS®
are licensed real estate practitioners
who maintain memberships in a local
association of REALTORS®, a
state association of REALTORS®
and the National Association of
REALTORS®.
The term "REALTOR®"
can only be used by real estate
licensees who are members of the
National Association of REALTORS®,
and a local and state association
of REALTORS®. As members of
these organizations, REALTORS®
have access to a wide variety of
business services which are not
available to non-REALTORS®.
This gives REALTORS® a competitive
edge in the marketplace, enabling
them to provide superior services
to buyers and sellers of real property.
It's always a good idea to ask
friends and co-workers for recommendations.
Top agents get most of their new
clients from satisfied former clients.
You may wish to interview several
agents to learn more about their
experience and to see whether you
would feel comfortable working with
them. Among the questions you might
ask a prospective agent are:
- Are you a REALTOR® member
of the local association of REALTORS®?
- How long have you been in the
business?
- Do you sell real estate full
time?
- How many properties did you
sell last year?
- What price range do you specialize
in?
- What type of property do you
specialize in—single-family,
condominiums, units, etc.?
- What neighborhoods are you
familiar with?
Once you have selected an agent,
rely on the agent to represent you
in various situations. Since most
real property purchase and sale
transactions involve two agents
(i.e., one representing the seller
and the other representing the buyer),
misunderstandings can develop when
a client of one agent speaks to
the agent of the other client. If
you are a buyer and find a property
which looks interesting, let your
agent do the initial follow-up.
And when you visit an open house,
always remember to hand the agent
holding the open house your agent's
business card.
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