Hiring the right real estate agent in a buyer's market

With a shift in market conditions, what used to be a tilted scale for buyers and sellers has now become a fair ground for negotiations. Homes that are priced right and marketed properly continue to sell and buyers have the opportunity to negotiate basic terms.

In a market where sellers need to make a greater effort in order to sell their homes and buyers can get creative when constructing offers, it only makes sense that you hire a competent real estate agent to help you do so, but the question is how do you know who's competent and who's not?
When you hire a real estate professional that you decide to be loyal to, you can be certain that they will be loyal to you too and bear your best interest in mind, so before you go out and "tie the knot" with a real estate agent, ask some questions:

1. Are you a Realtor? Not every real estate agent is a Realtor. A real estate agent is a REALTOR® when he or she becomes a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, and voluntarily adheres to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice and pledges to maintain incomparable knowledge of the real estate processes, becoming the experts of residential and commercial property transactions.
2. Do you work as a full-time Realtor®? The felixibilty of schedules in the real estate field tempts a lot of agents to keep their full-time jobs and sell real estate "on the side". While this may work for some agents, others tend to keep real estate "on the side of their minds" as well, relegating the clients' needs.
3. Do you have an assistant or partner? When a Realtor has someone they can rely on to take care of the myriad of details that a real estate transaction requires, they can spend more time on what really matters, like finding a buyer for your home or a home for their buyers.
4. What area and in what aspect of the market do you specialize?
5. Do you have a written marketing plan specifically designed to sell my house or help me find the right home for my family?
6. How do you market properties to buyers?
7. How many properties have you sold in the last three (3) months?
8. What kind of marketing materials will you produce to market my home ?
9. Do you have a written business plan and mission statement?
10. How often will I get an update on the efforts to sell my home or find a home?
11.In what ways do you encourage other Realtors® to sell my property? How do you network?
12. What can I do to help sell my property? A Realtor should have a list of ideas to help you spruce up your home.
13. How many listings do you have? What percentage of them sell?
14. What is the market trend now?
15. Based upon what you know about my situation, should I sell/buy? Why?
16. If I give you the listing, what are the first seven (7) things you will do in the first week to sell my property?
17. What methods do you use to communicate?  Pager  Phone  E-mail  Direct mail  Personal visit
18. What kind of internet presence do you have?
19. What kind of tools on your website are available for buyers / sellers?
20.How soon will my property be featured on your site?
21. On how many different sites will my property be found?
22. Why are you worth the commission?
30. Do you have any buyers for this home now?

Why use a Realtor

If you are buying, a Realtor will show you available homes matching your criteria. A Realtor can help you determine the right price of a property. A Realtor can serve as an emotional protection (buffer) between you and the buyer/seller. A Realtor is the difference between your property being "For Sale" and being "SOLD". A Realtor is the difference between receiving the highest price possible for your property and receiving too low a price. A Realtor will sell your house (on the average) at 16% higher than it would have had you done it on your own according to NAR statistics. A Realtor will save you days on the market. A Realtor makes sure you have a legally binding contract and complete the proper disclosures so you are treated fairly and you do not get sued. A Realtor is an excellent negotiator and makes sure you do not get eaten up in fees that reduce your bottom line. A Realtor has excelent relationships with lenders and can help qualify buyers. A Realtor will manage the hundreds of phone calls involved in selling and/or buying a property. A Realtor will develop a marketing plan to sell your property. A Realtor will spend money and effort in the sale of your home before he/she gets paid. A realtor will show you the flaws you don't see in your home so you can fix them rather than have no offers come in. A Realtor follows up during the transaction process to ensure the deal gets to closing. A Realtor represents your best interests. A Realtor will schedule all of your appointments. A Realtor is a real estate professional. A Realtor can reach a lot of buyers due to his/her targeted marketing methods and realtionships in the industry.
If you are still not convinced of the value of a Realtor, see what the National Association of Realtors has to say...click