When you’re a first home buyer, real estate agents are invaluable. This person will be a huge part of your journey. For best results, you need to choose carefully. Keep these tips in mind.
Decide If You Want a Real Estate Agent, a Realtor, or a Broker
Real estate professionals fall into three major categories: real estate agents, Realtors, and real estate brokers. Ultimately, you need to decide which professional is right for you, but to do that, you need to know the distinctions between these professionals.
Real estate agents have passed all the licensing exams. Realtors are a slight step up on the ladder. They are members of the National Association of Realtors, and they have to maintain certain ethics and educational standards to be part of that group.
Finally, real estate brokers may also be Realtors, but they have additional training. Real estate brokers can work on their own, and they often own real estate agencies where they employ estate agents. Note that real estate brokers are not the same as mortgage brokers. Mortgage brokers don’t help you find the home. They help you deal with lenders.
Find Someone Who Knows the Area
As a first home buyer, you want a local real estate agent who really knows the area. These professionals need to do more than just show you homes. They should be able to answer questions about local school districts, parks, and other amenities. That’s only possible if they know the area. If you’ve already honed in on a specific neighborhood, you may want to find a real estate agent who specializes in that area.
Look for Someone Who Understands First Home Buyer Programs
Although real estate agents aren’t mortgage brokers, they should still have a solid sense of how the loan process works. When you’re a first home buyer, the right real estate professional can help guide you through that process. They can give you advice on credit repair. They can recommend the best mortgage brokers in Atlanta. They can also ensure that the property you’re looking at meets the criteria outlined by your first home buyer loan or whichever program you’re using.
Read Reviews and Talk With Previous Clients
To get a sense of a real estate agent’s skills, you should read a few reviews or ask to talk with previous clients. Ideally, you want a real estate agent who is willing to search high and low for the perfect home for you. You want an agent who can work within your budget and help you find the best features at your price point.
Remember the X Factor
Finally, there’s an X factor. That is the unquantifiable element. This isn’t something you can read in reviews or learn on a real estate agent’s website. This refers to how the agent makes you feel as a first home buyer. When you talk with them, do you feel comfortable? Do you want to spend weekends and evenings touring homes with them? If your answer isn’t an immediate “yes”, you may want to keep looking.
Once you choose a real estate agent, you get to do the best part of the home buying process — finding the right home. To get help with the financial aspect of this process, contact our mortgage brokers in Atlanta at BrightPath today.