12 Things to Expect From an Expert Realtor When Buying a Home
The home buying process can be confusing and stressful if you’ve never done it before (and sometimes even if you have done it before!). But it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re looking to buy a home now or in the near future, you probably already know that working with a realtor is one of the best ways to find your dream home with less overwhelm and more ease.
But how do you know if your realtor is good or what to expect from a realtor when buying a home if you’ve never worked with one or have never been through the home buying process before?
I can tell you that realtors, sometimes known as real estate agents, provide very different experiences for their clients and can vary in their expertise, personality, and execution. In general, working with a real estate agent should be a pleasant experience since they do have a customer-facing role, and most realtors, by default, should at least enjoy working with people.
When you work with an expert realtor who understands how stressful it can be to juggle it all on top of planning a move, they’ll want to make the home buying process as simple and streamlined as possible. At least that’s our goal here at Brandie Brojan Real Estate.
But if you’ve never worked with one before, what should you expect from your real estate agent? From my experience as a homeowner and a realtor in New Jersey, I’ve come up with 12 things to expect from an expert realtor when buying a home.
Your Best Interests at Heart
If you absolutely don’t want a property that sits on a busy road –and you’ve mentioned this to your realtor– they should never take you to view a house on a busy road. If you have a set budget, your realtor should do everything they can not to exceed it. When a realtor has your best interest at heart, you should never have to experience any of these situations.
If the sellers are challenging to work with (which can happen more often that you think), it’s important for realtors to deflect as much excess stress or drama from their clients as they can. A recent client of mine had “to deal with difficult sellers, but Brandie was always on top of everything and kept our best interest at heart.”
2. Kindness & Honesty
If your realtor isn’t honest or doesn’t fully disclose information relevant to your home-buying experience, that should be a HUGE red flag. All licensed real estate agents have a code of ethics and standards of practice; if they aren’t adhered to, the job isn’t done correctly.
Don’t hesitate to ask your agent for previous buyer referrals or information about clients they’ve represented in the past. By getting feedback from previous homebuyers and reading through testimonials and reviews, you should get a good feel of whether or not your realtor is honest and kind.
I have numerous client testimonials on my website highlighting how I helped them buy or sell their home. Testimonials can be powerful and subtly indicate what it was like working with you.
For example, one of my home-buying couples said, “From the minute my husband and I met her, we could tell how kind, passionate, knowledgeable, and helpful she is.”
Another client mentioned, “On top of her amazing level of service, she is a genuinely kind and caring person who operates with a commendable amount of honesty and integrity.’
Both of these testimonials (and many more) are on my website, so potential homebuyers looking for a realtor have a good idea of what it would be like to work with me.
3. Responsive Communication With You
You should expect frequent communication with your realtor, even if it’s just an acknowledgment they’ve received your text, email, or phone call. Swift communication can be the difference between missing out on or getting accepted for your dream home if you're trying to buy a home in a competitive seller's market.
New listings and new purchase offers from other interested buyers are just some of the things your realtor should be informing you about straight away, and if you have questions, you should receive timely responses.
A realtor should have clients saying things like, “We appreciated her communication skills so much and loved that she made herself available to us whenever we needed her.”
4. Responsive Communication With the Seller Agents & Any Other Parties Involved
Similar to the point above, your realtor should constantly communicate with the selling agent and any other parties involved, including the inspector, title company, appraiser, real estate attorney, and any other person involved in the home buying process. Ideally, your realtor should take on every piece of the home buying process they can to make it as seamless as possible for their clients both during the process and long after.
“Brandie made us feel so valued as clients, and she has a huge network of recommendations that have helped us throughout every single stage of this process.”
5. Extensive Support in Finding Your Next Home
If anyone gets it, a realtor gets it – house hunting is exhausting and requires a lot of time and effort. Your realtor should help you get clear on what you want most in a home and what you’re willing to concede if you can’t find the perfect match.
From budgets to availability to timeline, an expert realtor can help you find a home that meets or exceeds your expectations by asking the right questions. Overall, they’ll need to know what you’re looking for in terms of location, neighborhood, school districts, etc., so they can counsel you on finding the best option for your needs.
6. Support in Finding Good-Match Open Houses
Once a realtor knows what you're looking for in your dream home, they should know exactly what types of houses might spark your interest. One of the best ways to further determine what a client likes and dislikes in a home is to head to an open house that matches their previously set expectations (or at least comes very close to those expectations).
If you’ve never attended an open house before, I have a post that covers exactly how open houses work for buyers and sellers.
7. True Professionalism
It should go without saying – but I’ll say it anyways — you should absolutely expect professionalism from your realtor.
They should show up to meetings, open houses, and inspections looking decently respectable. They should be on time for all of your appointments. They should be communicative and answer questions as thoroughly as possible (and in a timely manner). They should be organized and efficient throughout the process.
“Brandie is everything you want in a real estate agent. She is so professional, smart, dedicated, organized, and honest. She was consistently on top of everything.”
8. Comprehensive Knowledge of the City, Neighborhoods, & Local Real Estate Market
When you’re looking to buy a home in a specific area or city –for example, Morris County, New Jersey –it makes sense to seek out a real estate agent that knows the local area, including the city, neighborhood, and local real estate market that you’re interested in.
When they know the local market trends and what the homes in the neighborhood have been selling for (because they’ve already sold or bought for other clients), they have a better understanding of what an accurate and fair price is and what you should be offering –and ultimately paying– for your home.
My clients are incredibly appreciative of my local home market knowledge because it makes the process easier on them. “Throughout our entire home search process, Brandie was so on top of things, extremely organized, quick to respond, and knew the market very well! “
“We were so clueless about the home-buying process, but she was able to explain the whole process to us clearly, especially the particular aspects new to the housing market at the moment.”
9. In-Depth Knowledge of Local Laws, Regulations, & Procedures
Similar to how the local market fluctuates or changes from city to city, local laws, regulations, and procedures can also change. There are different processes to go through when you buy a condo or apartment versus a standalone home; or when you buy a modern build versus a listed historical home. Whether it’s homeowner associations or HOAs, your realtor must have experience in each of these realms so they can best help you and your specific home buying needs.
10. Strong Negotiation Experience & Skills
To get your purchase offer accepted, you need a real estate agent to advocate on your behalf and get the best possible price for you without coming across as pushy or aggressive. There is a delicate balance when it comes to purchasing offers, and realtors can make a key difference –especially if they have a stellar reputation in the industry already, have a good understanding of the current market value, and can analyze the value of the particular home you’re making an offer on.
11. Help Choosing a Thorough, Trustworthy Home Inspector
As with most service providers – including realtors – home inspectors should be dependable, professional, and great to work with,. During the home buying process, inspectors are key to understanding the true state of your potential home. Ideally, your realtor will have connections with a few different inspectors and should know what various inspections need to be done (and when) to ensure your home arrives in your care with little to no problems.
Having a go-to list of great referrals, like inspectors makes it easier on your clients who have already put their trust in your care. “We have also relied on her for a great deal of referrals, both for the home buying process and for the things we needed done in our new house, and each one was top notch. “
12. Help Finalizing the Close, So Your New Home is Yours!
A realtor doesn’t stop when a seller accepts your offer on a home. For the home purchase to go smoothly, your realtor must communicate with the seller’s agent and the buyer’s attorney throughout the sale, keeping everyone (including you!) informed to keep the ball rolling.
When you’re under contract, a lot of documentation and paperwork is happening, and inadequate effort and communication from your realtor during this sale stage can easily lead to stalling. An expert realtor’s goal is to make the sale as smooth and fast as possible!
As a buyer, you should have high expectations from your realtor and expect excellence from start to finish. When you know what to expect from a realtor when buying a home, you’ll be better prepared and know when you’ve made a great hiring choice or when you haven’t.
If you’re ready to find the home of your dreams (with a realtor who works hard to make you happy) or have questions about the process, let’s chat! I pride myself on being customer-centric, professional, and authentic, and have stellar communication skills throughout the home buying process. Contact me to get started if you think we’d be a great fit!