Real estate in San Diego can go very fast and isn’t necessarily an easy market to get into. Choosing the proper agent can vastly help buying in this area, and it makes sense for a buyer to spend some time choosing someone that best fits their needs. A couple of steps for making that choice are below.
Online Search
As with finding so many services these days, one should start their search on the internet. Local forums, national review sites and others can provide suggestions and ratings that can help a buyer get a list together of potential agents. Those can be screened by visiting the websites to see what their credentials and experience are. An individual should look for professionals with the appropriate certifications and at least a few years experience in the area. Every geographic market has its peculiarities, and an agent who is new to real estate in San Diego may not be able to guide a person as well as one who has been in the area for awhile. This should allow one to narrow down the list to a few options.
Take Some Time to Get to Know One Another
After a person is down to a handful of options, it’s time to contact them and have a discussion. Some things to talk about are experience in the area, familiarity with the neighborhoods a person is interested in, any specialties or focuses, and what properties they have recently helped buy. One is should look for confidence and knowledge along with experience in the kinds of properties that they are interested in. Someone who has a focus on multi-unit buildings may not be the best choice for buying a detached house. One should ask the professional to go through recent sales and explain the factors that led to the sale, any interesting aspects and both the original listing price and the price that was finally paid. An agent who has a history of gaining concessions or a lower purchase price may be a useful ally to have. Finally, ask anyone who is of interest for a list of former clients.
Chat with Former Clients
At this point, one should just have one or two likely prospects, and spending some time contacting former clients is a great way to gain just a bit more insight into the their skills and personality. Determine the level and tone of communication available. Some people want a straightforward and minimalistic process, with merely the facts and showings and nothing else, while others want a higher level of communication, advice, suggestions and hand-holding. Neither approach is wrong, but if the buyer and agent have different communication styles, it can make the process much more frustrating than it has to be.