Like most professions, experience is no guarantee of skill. But much of real estate is learned on the job. An experienced realtor will be better suited at dealing with unexpected issues which they already have experience dealing with.
This will touch on how much experience they have, and how up-to-date they are on the local market.
Real estate professionals have to take additional specialized training in order to obtain these distinctions. Designations and certifications help define the special skills that an agent can apply to your particular real estate needs. One designation sellers might for is the CRS®, or Certified Residential Specialist, but there are also specialists for military customers, seniors, and those who are considering a short sale, among others.
The REALTOR® you interview should have information about their performance on hand and be able to present market statistics from their local MLS to provide a comparison.
If they do not come prepared, this should be a red flag.
This is one indication of a REALTOR®’s pricing and negotiating skills and a very important consideration when choosing your realtor®.
While it’s usually legal to represent both parties in a transaction, your REALTOR® should be able to explain his or her philosophy on client obligations and agency relationships.
Practitioners should be able to recommend more than one provider and let you know if they have any special relationship with any of the providers.
The best answer here is a question. A real estate agent who pays attention to the way you prefer to communicate and responds accordingly will make for the smoothest transaction.
Ask their former customers if they would use the agent again in the future.