The ABC's of Buying Your New Home!
Finding a Qualified and Reliable Realtor

Finding a Qualified and Reliable Realtor that makes you really feel comfortable is probably THE most important decision you will make when first considering buying a new home. Make sure you base your decision on the following:

Experience: Ask the realtor how many years of experience they have in the real estate business. If they have remained several years it means only one thing....THEY HAVE MADE IT. You see, realtors do not get paid salaries. They are paid when a home purchase closes and not before. If your realtor has many years experience and still has a passion for their work, you can be assured that they will work hard for you.

Education: Ask the realtor if they have a designation, such as GRI, ABR, CRS, CRB. These designations indicate that they have taken the time to further their knowledge of the Real Estate business and, thus, are more qualified to give you quality service.

Rapport: You MUST feel comfortable with your realtor. Not only do you need to rest assured that they will do their best for you, you also need to be able to talk to them, communicate your needs to them and know that they are listening to what you have to say. If a realtor tries to tell you what you are looking for, maybe its time to find a new realtor. They are here for you, not the other way around. Please note, however, that a qualified realtor will make suggestions concerning needs, budgets and other aspects of buying a home. They won't try to tell you what to do, but they will help you fine tune your expectations.

Be Realistic: Realize that a busy realtor is probably very good at what they do, so don't expect them to be on call for you only. However, it is important that they return your calls in a reasonable amount of time. A good idea is to get their cell phone or email address. If a realtor habitually delays in calling you back, then, maybe its time to get a new realtor.

Search out Realtors: You have an incredible resource at your disposal in the Internet. Most realtor's have attractive websites which reflect their personalities and interests. These sites allow you to learn more about a realtor and the fact that they spend time and money to market themselves shows you that they are committed to their purpose....which is to help you.

How Do They Operate: Ask the realtor for the Broker Disclosure that explains Missouri law in regards to the Buyer/Realtor relationship. Don't sign an exclusive buyer's agency agreement with them unless you are sure you want to stay with that realtor.

Which brings us to....

Don't Jump Around: Don't hopscotch from one realtor to the other. Most realtor's are committed to working hard for you. All they ask in return is a little loyalty. Of course, if a realtor is not living up to your expectations and is not committed to giving you the best service possible, then you may decide to leave them.

But that's what this tutorial is for, so you don't encounter that problem.

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