If you’re in the market for a realtor to help you buy or sell a home (or both), you may find yourself sifting through a lot of potential candidates. You’ve seen their signs in front of homes and their pictures on benches around town. There may be dozens of qualified professionals to choose from. How can you find the best Sioux Falls realtor to represent your interests? There are a few things you’ll want to consider.
Referrals and Ratings
Everyone and their grandma can recommend a realtor they like (or steer you away from one they don’t), and these trusted referrals can give you a good place to start. However, you’ll also want to do a little digging to find out more. Look for online reviews to help you further narrow your prospects and find out if the realtor you prefer has won any awards, like “Realtor of the Year”. If they’ve been honored by peer groups or the National Association of Realtors (NAR), they’re likely ethical, trustworthy, and very good at their job.
Proper Licensing
This is a must. Realtors are licensed by the state, so it’s easy to discover if the realtor you plan to work with is properly credentialed. You can also find out if any disciplinary actions have been imposed for violations or if any complaints have been filed.
Experience
Experience isn’t everything, but it’s important that you choose a realtor that has the right kind of experience. If you’re looking for a luxury home, you want a realtor who knows the market and can help you find the right property. Many realtors continue to take classes and specialize after earning a license, so ask about any additional training they may have that applies to the Sioux Falls property you’re selling, or the type you want to buy.
Knowledge of the Area
Any realtor can run comps to help you price your home, but one who is familiar with your Sioux Falls neighborhood is going to have the most knowledge to tap into when trying to convince prospective buyers to bid on your home. The same basic principle applies to purchasing your new home. If your realtor has a lot of knowledge about the neighborhoods you’re interested in, he/she can help you to locate the perfect property while avoiding less desirable areas or developments.
Relative Client Volume
You’ll naturally want to check any current listings your realtor has for a couple of reasons. First, you want to get an idea of how your own listing might look if you choose a realtor to represent you. However, you also want to get an idea of just how busy your realtor is. You want to choose a realtor that isn’t so busy he/she can’t give you the attention you need.
Conflict of Interest
You always want your realtor to represent your best interests, so you’ll want to work with someone who isn’t also representing the people buying your home or selling the homes they’re showing you. Good realtors are in high demand, so some overlap is always possible, but an ethical realtor will tell you if there is a potential conflict of interest up front so you have the opportunity to make an informed decision.
