Tips for Buyers
Your Realtor protects your best interests as you make what is probably your biggest and most important financial investment. Going with an experienced pro costs the same amount (a standard 6% paid by the seller) as does picking an unknown Realtor from an ad or the phone book. Even so, most homebuyers don't interview before hiring their Realtor. Hiring an inexperienced Realtor can cost you time, money and the home of your dreams. It pays to shop around and ask the right questions before selecting the best Realtor to represent you.

Experience
Experience doesn't just mean number of years in the business. You should also ask how many homes per year a Realtor sells. Each time a Realtor sells a home, he builds experience negotiating on behalf of a buyer. Successful Realtors fine tune their negotiation skills at least 30 times each year, while an average Realtor negotiates only two or three times.

Relationships
Your Realtor should have strong relationships with lenders, title and escrow companies, insurance brokers and home inspectors that you can leverage to save you time and money. The more successful the Realtor, the stronger these relationships often are. For example, successful Realtors refer so much business to one lender that this lender will bend over backwards to give his buyers the best rates and terms possible on a loan.

Reputation
When a Realtor with a strong reputation writes an offer on his buyer's behalf, the listing agent for that property can feel confident that the transaction will go through. For this reason, an offer from a buyer with good representation may be more carefully considered than other offers, which can give you the edge over competing buyers.

Operational Support
It's important to meet with a prospective Realtor in his office and ask questions about how he operates. For example, technology makes it possible for your Realtor to respond to you and listing agents in a timely fashion, which can mean the difference between you getting or losing the home of your dreams. Does your agent have the latest technological tools at his disposal? Having a personal staff to take care of administrative work frees your Realtor to spend his time looking for your perfect home. Does your Realtor have the support staff he needs to be highly productive on your behalf?

Testimonials
Your Realtor should not hesitate to provide you with testimonials from satisfied clients. Successful Realtors grow their businesses by building long-term relationships with clients who will refer that Realtor to their friends and family. If a Realtor is desperate to close a sale, developing a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with a client is not his top concern. Sticking you in the first house he can find is.

To obtain testimonials from clients of the Alan Shafran Group or to request more detailed information about any of these topics, please contact us.