How do I know if I have a good real estate agent?

Buying cheap homes can be easy or hard, depending on whether or not you have a good real estate agent who is working with you. In fact, your experience with regard to buying or selling a home rests a lot on the kind of quality of the realtor with whom you are dealing. A lot of people have asked themselves if their agent should be doing this or not. To settle this once and for all, just read on to find out if your realtor is behaving in a legitimate way or not.

First up is credibility. A good real estate agent will possess oodles of credibility, which is mainly measured by way of how many years experience he or she possesses in terms of showing and selling houses. Ideally, it is also recommended that the agent have experience in all sorts of real estate markets.

Next up are the right credentials. You can be assured that your realtor will perform better if he or she has any of the following letters after his name: SRES, CLHMS, ABR, CRS or GRI. A realtor with these credentials will usually provide a better service than one without.

Good communication—there is simply no substitute for it, and it is yet another hallmark of a good agent. Your agent should possess good communication, which includes returning your e-mails and your phone calls in a prompt and efficient manner.

If your agent has a lack of education, then that is problematic because it raises questions about his commitment to keeping himself or herself informed of all the trends in the real estate market. Beware this type of agent!

One way that your agent can ignore your needs is if he or she keeps showing you properties that are always beyond your means. Such an agent is not looking out for you, and you should part with him or her quickly.

Finally, an agent who does not work full-time is one to be avoided, too. An agent should not be working so little that he or she can’t give you full attention.