What Can Go Wrong
There are many amazing and dedicated Realtors out there. In fact, there are over 2 million licensed Realtors just in the united states. But unfortunately, while they all cost the same, they don’t all perform the same. Buying or Selling a property is a transaction that requires reliable and trustworthy representation. It’s important to take the time to be certain that the person you’re contracting with is the right professional for your specific needs. Read reviews, ask questions, check the experience and specialties of each Realtor you’re considering and interview at least a couple before you choose.
Below is an example of what can, and too often does, go wrong. You don’t want to get locked into a situation like this.
I had a particularly frustrating experience with a Realtor that taught me the importance of choosing the right agent when buying or selling a home. It all started when my family and I decided to sell our home and purchase a new one in a different neighborhood. We had heard mixed reviews about various agents, but ultimately, we went with someone a friend recommended. Unfortunately, our experience quickly soured.
From the very beginning, the communication was poor. The Realtor seemed disinterested in getting to know us or understanding our needs. We spent a considerable amount of time explaining our situation: our budget, preferred neighborhood, and the type of home we were looking for. Despite this, our agent seemed to disregard the specifics, repeatedly showing us homes that were not even close to what we had described. The homes were either way above our budget or in neighborhoods we had no interest in. It felt like the Realtor was just trying to push any property on us, rather than listening to our preferences.
What was even more frustrating was how unresponsive they were. I’d send emails or texts with questions about properties we were interested in, but I would often go days without a response. It was especially difficult when we were trying to schedule viewings for houses we liked. There were multiple instances when we’d request an appointment, only for the Realtor to either not confirm the time or to confirm at the last minute, making it hard for us to plan our schedules around it. We felt like we were doing all the work in terms of follow-up, rather than relying on the Realtor to guide us.
As the weeks went by, I started noticing more red flags. The Realtor seemed to have little to no knowledge about the local market, which is crucial in real estate. When we asked about the market trends in our desired neighborhoods, the Realtor either gave vague answers or was completely unable to provide meaningful insights. This left us feeling uncertain about the decisions we were being advised to make.
