Individuals who want to utilize the services of a real estate agent to help them buy a property or sell one should only use Realtors that are licensed; this is a rule believed by many including those at TomLori.com. One piece of information that most consumers seeking out a real estate agent to hire are not aware of is that not every real estate agent is considered to be a Realtor. When compared against one another Realtors have a higher amount of training then real estate agents. Realtors also work under a certain code of ethics that is not followed by real estate agents and unlike real estate agents; Realtors are the members of a specific association. In order to determine whether the person that you are considering hiring is a Realtor or a real estate agent all you have to do is find out what kind of license they have earned. If they are a Realtor they will have earned a broker's license and real estate agents will just have an agent's license. In order to obtain a broker's license instead of just an agent license one has to undergo additional training and obtain a higher amount of experience.
When selecting a real estate agent do not base your decision on their fees. A majority of the time you pay for what you get which means the lower the fees get the smaller their amount of experience gets as well. They set low fees for the use of their services just so that they can get more clients and gain more credentials. Don't be afraid to the real estate agents that you are considering using questions such as how much experience they have. You should also ask them how many successful sales they have made and make sure that they are distinguishing sales from transactions which are two very different things. To make it easier just find out how many sales they have made within the last couple of years instead of throughout their entire career as a real estate agent. You can even go the extra step and ask them to provide you with references.
Choose real estate agents that perform as agents full-time not just part-time. Get the agents that you are considering to tell you how many clients they are currently working for and what hours they are available. As a general rule you will want an agent that is able to give you their time and is not spread thin among too many different clients. You want someone working for you that is always available within reason to address any concerns or questions that you may have.
The real estate agent that you use should be well-informed about the neighborhood in which you are selling your house or are thinking about purchasing a home in. They should know about any landmarks that maybe of importance such as shopping centers, hospitals, or any other types of landmarks in which consumers desire to be in close proximity to their place of residence. Realtors that are capable should also be able to provide you with information regarding sales and new listings that can be found within the areas that are of interest to you, if they cannot provide you with such information than you should not utilize them for their services.