Hiring a real estate agent in Fort Worth can be frustrating. So what are the steps for how to find a good real estate agent in Fort Worth?
Many local large real estate brokers will spend thousands of dollars each month to ensure that their agents are the most visible, whether it be online, in the Yellow Pages, or by erecting giant billboards in the most trafficked sections of Fort Worth.
However, the agents backed by the most promotion dollars aren’t always the best, and may not be a good fit for your circumstances. In today’s piece, we’re going to look at how you can find a good real estate agent in Fort Worth.
[NOTE: If you need to sell your Fort Worth house fast and can’t wait the 3-6 months+ it is taking to sell a home on the local market… we may be able to help by buying your house from you. Texas Best Homebuyers can make you an all-cash offer within 24 hours on your house in as-is condition. ]
How To Find A Good Real Estate Agent In Fort Worth – Get Reviews… Real Reviews and References
A great place to start is by asking local family and friends who they would recommend. From there you can do some quick searches online to check out their websites and profiles. Reading reviews here is fine, but you’ll also want to find out some other important info about any agent you’re considering working with and you’ll also want to get references from the agent themselves.
One way to search for agent reviews is… hit Google and type in “[name of agent] reviews” and see what pops up in the Google search. If you see a bunch of negative reviews on websites like yelp and others… see if the agent tried to engage with those negative reviewers online to resolve the situation.
Online reviews of real estate agents can give you an idea of how successful (or not) the real estate agent is, but some reviews are easily manipulated. They can often times be little more than paid advertisements. In addition to searching for online reviews it is important to get honest references from any agent that you’re considering. Any reputable agent will be glad to provide you with recent clients (within the last year) to contact to hear about their experience. Ask these former clients how the agent did in representing them. Were they satisfied? How did the agent handle any difficult situations? What parts went well and what might have gone better? A satisfied client is an authentic positive review.
Check The Real Estate Agent’s Credentials
Check with The Texas Real Estate Commission to verify the agent’s licensing. While you’re on that website, you’re also often able to look into any regulatory actions and complaints against the agent. Follow this link to do a quick search: https://www.trec.texas.gov/apps/license-holder-search/index.php?lic_name=&lic_hp=&industry=Real+Estate
You should also ask the prospective agent how long they’ve been buying and selling homes. If they’re representing an agency, ask how long they’ve been with that particular agency, and their history with other firms.
Interview The Local Fort Worth Real Estate Agent
You’ll want to clearly understand how the agent will be representing you. Ask if they will be representing your interests only throughout the entire process. In some cases an agent is legally able to represent both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction as a dual agent. It is recommended that you get a written disclosure about the nature of the relationship.
Ask the agent the following questions to gauge the agent’s skill, and ability to represent you as a buyer or a seller:
- Will I be working directly with you or with your assistants? Will I have direct access to you for questions or situations that arise?
- Do you have any specialized credentials for specific markets?
- How will communication happen? Will they contact you via your preferred way of communicating? (phone, text, email)
- What is their commission? How will they be paid?
- What properties have you sold in my location that might be similar to my property? What was the sales price on those properties?
- What is your days on market average?
- How many homes have you sold in the past 6 months?
It’s important to choose an agent who has experience working with homes similar to yours.
Above all, it’s important to choose a real estate agent in Fort Worth that you can trust. Regular communication is extremely important when selling your home, as in many cases, a house represents the majority of your net worth. During the process of selling your home, a good agent will be able to answer questions such as:
- How many inquiries have been made about my home?
- How many of these inquiries came from people likely to make a purchase (not just window shoppers)?
- What other properties in this neighborhood are for sale? What is the asking price of those homes?
Ask The Local Real Estate Agent How They Plan On Selling Your House
Sometimes going the direct route is the best. In the case of looking for a local Fort Worth TX real estate agent, ask them how they intend to sell your house, and what they will do for you that the other agents in town won’t do.
They will usually list your property on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and on other real estate websites. Find out what other marketing tools they will use such as professional photos, video tours and open houses.
Lower Priced Commissions Are Not Always The Best
Often times Fort Worth TX home sellers want to go with the lowest priced option for hiring a real estate agent.
Heck, when you look at the numbers… if a real estate agent is earning 3% on a $100,000 sale… that’s $3,000 in fees just to 1 real estate agent (usually both agents representing the buyer and the seller earn commission)… it isn’t cheap. But really do your research before you go with a cut rate agent or a flat fee agent… because that usually means that the service you’re getting is also a lower level service.
Some of the best real estate agents in Fort Worth have great marketing systems and are able to sell homes faster and for higher prices. So even if you find someone to sell your house at a 1.5% fee… look long and hard at whether you’ll be saving money long term.
The same goes for selling your house to a local real estate investor like Texas Best Home Buyers. The highest priced offer isn’t always the best. Look at the terms of the deal the house buyer offers you… and ensure they can close on-time… because every month that goes by costs you money (your mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, etc.) to hold the property.
It’s important to avoid low-quality real estate agents. These could be “rookies” who will do anything to make their first sale (including leaving dollars on the table). A good real estate agent can make selling your home an extremely smooth experience, and will work in your best interest.
Also, don’t choose a real estate agent based on who will list the home at the highest sales price. It could end up costing you a bundle of money. You want an agent who will price the home comparable to other homes that are similar to yours and have sold recently. If you go with the agent that suggests the highest sales price and it isn’t priced right, the property could end up sitting on the market a long time.
So go out there and do your research and find a local real estate agent.
If you need to sell your house fast… we’d love to make you an all-cash fair offer on your house.
We can make you a no-obligation offer in 24 hours or less and you can weigh that option against going with a real estate agent.
Just click the link below and fill out the short form on the next page to get the painless process rolling.