If you are ready to purchase your first home, one of your first steps will be finding a trustworthy real estate agent who can help you navigate your purchase. Obviously you will want a well-connected, experienced agent that knows your market. But what else should you look for in a real estate agent? Here are some traits first time home buyers should value in their agent.
They Have Plenty of Time for You
Making your first home purchase is likely to take a significant amount of time. You may not know exactly what you want when you start looking, so you might need to have more home viewings. Additionally, you may spend more time understanding the process of loan approval and placing a bid on a home than an experienced buyer would need. It's important that your agent has enough time to sit down with you and guide you through the more complicated parts of home buying.
They Encourage You to Make Smart Decisions
Your real estate agent should not agree with you all of the time. They should be upfront and honest with you if they think you're heading in the wrong direction. While they should respect your desires, they should also be bold enough to give you the information they've learned over years in the housing market.
They Don't Make You Feel Pressured
While it's true that some homes you have to act fast on, your agent should not resort to scare tactics to bully you into making a purchase. They should keep you informed of deadlines as far in advance as possible and let you know the risks of waiting without making you feel like you'll be missing out if you don't act immediately. Additionally, they should not make you feel pressured into purchasing a home you are not sure about or simply does not match your needs.
They Communicate With You Proactively
Your real estate agent should call you when a new home that fits your needs goes on the market or if there have been changes with homes you've already discussed. If you are always the one calling your agent, it's a sign that they are not proactive about their communication and you should search for a different agent who calls or emails you to check in and make sure you are moving forward in the purchasing process.
Finding the right agent the first time you purchase a home can help set you up for a positive relationship with that agent for the rest of your purchases.
