Do you find yourself wondering what all the hype is about for finding a top Realtor in Michigan? Let me help you pull back the curtain and find the best real estate agent for you! It is important to accurately assess a real estate agent’s past performance and potential success to help you find or sell your home. It is easy to create an illusion of being a top realtor by having a big advertising budget, but don’t let that fool you. This article will provide you with key tips to finding the best real estate agent in your Michigan market whether you are buying or selling.
Talk With Recent Clients and Read Reviews
The easiest way to find out if you are dealing with a top Realtor in Michigan is just by googling them. When you Google the agent you should be able to find multiple places that have reviews. You can read reviews about the agent on their Google business profile and their Zillow and Realtor.com profiles. Some top agents even have yelp accounts that have past reviews.
If you want to take it one step further, ask the agent to provide you with a list of what houses they sold in the last year and contact information for previous clients who are willing to give them a reference.
With a list of the agents’ previous listings, you will be able to compare the properties and their features to your property or to what you are looking for. This is important because you want an agent who will excel at selling/finding exactly what you need. For example, if you are selling a waterfront home in Fenton, MI, you would want to call a top realtor who is familiar with Fenton and even more familiar with the lakes in Fenton, such as Realtor Ed Constable.
Look Up The Licensing
Every state has an association that licenses and disciplines real estate agents. Check with your state’s regulatory body to find out if the person is licensed and if there have been any disciplinary actions or complaints. You can also check to see if the information is posted online. This research for Michigan real estate agent licenses can be done by clicking HERE.
Pick A Winner
You want the best agent around, your local top Realtor in Michigan and not the average joe. Most top Realtors in Michigan will carry themselves differently and have confidence radiate from them. They know they can get the job done and that’s the kind of Realtor you want. A top realtor anywhere in the U.S. is going to be very prompt with answering your questions and returning phone calls. If they are wishy-washy and aren’t prompt with what you need, they probably aren’t the best fit for you.
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Research The Agent
When you have a question, where or who do you turn to? Google. You might not always turn to Google, but most of the time that’s where people start. It is a smart idea to Google your potential realtor’s name to see how strong their presence is in the Real Estate industry. You will be able to view their past reviews and testimonials from previous clients.
When searching a top Realtor’s name, you should be able to find their website, social media channels, phone number and current listings. Their listings should be posted on a major real estate websites like Realtor.com, Zillow.com, and/or Trulia.com. If you see something that catches your eye, it might be worth getting in contact with that realtor for more information. If you don’t see their listings on one of those sites, you should consider looking for a different Realtor with a stronger presence.
Research How Long The Agent Has Been In Business and How Much They Sell
You can often find out how long the agent has been selling real estate from the state licensing authority or by asking the agent.
If the Realtor you choose has only been in business for a year or less, they are still learning and that might not be the best case for you. Yes, they are eager, but you ultimately want someone who is actively engaged in a particular area and has connections. It is important to know what kind of knowledge they have of the area you are considering, and what kind of market presence they have in that area.
A full-time Realtor is a better choice than a part-time Realtor because someone who doesn’t do this as their full-time job might not have the same motivation as someone who does, not to mention their availability to schedule appointments and show listings will not be as open.
It would also be good to know what their sales volume is. If they have been a “top Realtor in Michigan” for 10 years but they only sell 5 houses a year, chances are you will be better off with an agent who has been an agent a shorter amount of time but sold 50 houses in one year.
Even though they both sold 50 houses their whole career, the agent who has done 50 in one year will be better because the real estate business is always changing and someone who sells 50 homes a year will have a better pulse of the market and know much more about doing business in today’s economy. An agent’s ability to handle high volume sales also shows that they can work under stress and still guide a sale to the closing table, despite inspection issues or negotiations.
Strong Online Presence
Check out an agent’s listings online. The first place to look would be the realtor’s own website. Then you can also look at other real estate websites such as Realtor.com, Zillow, and Trulia. These websites compile properties in the Multiple Listing Service into a searchable online database.
Most buyers start their search for a home online, so it is important to have an agent that has a strong online presence and uses the Internet effectively. It is important to have an attractive website, and further, a user-friendly website, not something complicated and hard to use.
Also, when having listings on a website it is a key factor to have a detailed description of the home and high-quality photos are a must! If the pictures of a home are dark and don’t look professional, not only will the Realtor not be taken seriously, and it gives off the vibe that the Realtor doesn’t care much about their listings. Low-quality pictures won’t bring in buyers, and if they aren’t drawn in by the pictures online, they won’t schedule a showing.
In some markets, finding a top real estate agent in Michigan can be hard. For this exact thing, there is a great website out there called SellMyHomeMI.com. This website is a 3rd party service that will match you with a top Realtor in Michigan to help you either sell a house or buy one.
If you want to work with a top realtor in Michigan, message Ed Constable, who services Genesee County, Shiawassee County, Oakland County, Livingston County, and Lapeer County!
Ed Constable works hard to provide the best experience he can for buyers and sellers, simply because his goal is to be reliable, persistent, and passionate in all areas of life.
I really like your advice to try and find a realtor who is very consistent about putting their listings online. My wife and I spend a lot of time on the internet, and we both are pretty proficient in navigating online. I know that my wife would really appreciate a realtor that also shares our appreciation of technology!
Spotting the best real estate agent is an intimidating job. And the fact of the matter is, selling or buying a real estate property is an exhausting mixture of amusements and uneasiness. So, if you have a knowledgeable real estate expert by your side, then you will certainly keep yourself safe from encountering potential pitfalls. You have to check the credentials before appointing a realtor. A person can be a realtor. But becoming a deft realtor will be nearly impossible for everyone. Thus, it is advisable to execute an extensive research prior to hiring.