How to Find a Real Estate Agent Near You
Discover our guide to help you find a real estate agent.
With quickly moving markets, new technologies, and an ever-changing economic outlook, it has become more difficult than ever to navigate the home buying and selling process. Working with a top rated real estate agent near you can help save money on your transaction, protect you from risk and liability, and offer seasoned insights and experience to support your decision making.
However, with nearly 3 million agents across the U.S. it’s hard to know exactly who is the best for you to work with. As the industry’s leading real estate agent marketplace RealEstateAgents.com has put together a guide to help you find a real estate agent.
Find Local Real Estate Agents
There are several common ways of finding a real estate agent, including attending open houses or selecting one from a well known brokerage; however, nearly 50% of clients find a real estate professional through a referral, making it the most common method.
A connection from someone close to you is a fantastic source of potential real estate referrals; however, you’re limited to agents they have worked with before. Unless your contact is a professional in the real estate industry they have likely only navigated this journey a couple of times. The perfect real estate agent for you might be right around the corner, and you wouldn't know it.
Luckily there is a way to super-charge the referrals you have access to! It's possible to find a real estate agent while focusing on the criteria and elements outlined above by catering the list of candidates to individuals that would make the best real estate agent for you.
Once you’ve created a list of the best agents near you, it's important to compare & interview a few of these agents to discover which is the right agent for you!
Identify Top Performers
Choosing the right real estate agent is critical to making your transaction a success. But what is the best way to pick a top real estate agent or REALTOR®?
When selecting a top real estate agent or REALTOR®, you need to choose someone who will act as a partner in the journey. We’ve outlined a few key points to consider when identifying the best real estate agents.
These traits are so important that after working with a real estate agent, a 2021 study showed around 90% of buyers would either recommend their agent or use that same agent again in the future.
But beyond these general attributes, it's also important to consider the real estate specific expertise that is most important to you:
An agent representing you should have a rich history of success supporting clients! This means a trail of positive reviews and references from past clients as well as links to past homes they have closed in the local market.
Whether you’re buying or selling, a top real estate agent can determine competitive pricing by analyzing recent comparable transactions and negotiate on your behalf. Top local real estate agents will also support you in completing all necessary documents associated with your transaction, such as offers/counter offers, disclosures, closing documents, and more.
As your deal moves forward you will need support from multiple service providers. Choosing the best local REALTOR® means you are connected to their network of working partners. Knowing you have a great real estate agent recommending everything from movers to a title company can help expedite the transaction and reduce the number of headaches.
The top real estate agent will be familiar with all of the neighborhoods you’re most interested in. This means they should have a record of success closing deals there and understand competitive pricing strategies for those markets. They’ll know about the best schools and restaurants as well as the average price per square foot.
We talk much more about these areas and more in our piece all about How to Compare Real Estate Agents, which gives even more details about the above points. It’s also important to have a good personality fit with the agent, that they’re a good communicator, and they seem like someone you can trust.
With these tips in hand, you’re now on the path to find the best real estate agent near you! If you want to have even more success in identifying the best real estate agent, check out our resources about Working with an Agent.