How to Discover Your Ideal Real Estate Agent
When you’re looking to buy or sell, where do you start looking for the best agent in the market? There are so many free tools and options that it can get overwhelming. Luckily, we have some insight into how you can discover the perfect agent for you and your family’s needs.
Many members in our community use Zillow as a key resource. Did you know that when you conduct a search in Zillow’s “Agent Finder,” you are not getting the top agents? We recently did a search in the Roswell area and the #1 recommended agent had only three sales in the last 12 months, the #2 recommended agent had two sales and the #4 recommended agent had no sales in the last 12 months in the area.
To drive our point home, Robin Martin & Associates is one of the top teams in Roswell, if not #1 team, based on homes sold, and does not even rank in the top 10 when you search for an agent in Roswell or 30076 zip code.
You may be asking: Why is this occurring? Agents who are willing to pay Zillow are being recommended and could have little to no track record in the city or zip code you are searching.
Another place you could search for an agent is Ideal Agent, which claims to sell your home for top-dollar while saving commission. The challenge with this is that we are not aware of any top local agent who has signed up to be affiliated with Ideal Agent. Similar to any discounter claiming to save you money, the key thing to understand is that you’re likely not getting a top local agent and our 2021 study reveals that those looking to sell a home will net less after commission by using such discounters.
So, if the tools from Zillow or even a quick Google search only provides a list of agents who are simply paying to be at the top of a list, you’re not going to find the most experienced agent in your market. As a result, we suggest you follow these steps:
1. Ask your neighbors who have recently sold their homes who they used, and if they would recommend them.
2. Always ask the agent you’re considering to provide the number of homes they have sold in your community and/or area code in the last 6 months. Also ask them for their last 6-12 months sales, what their average days on market is, and what their success rate is in getting homes sold.
3. If you want to use Zillow, you can go to the search bar where it asks for the address, neighborhood, city or zip and type in your zip code. Then, go to the “more” button and adjust the filter to the last 6 months. You can then go the map and select homes sold in your community and you will see who the actual listing agent is by scrolling down. By checking a number of sold listings, you will start to identify a common name and that is when you will see who truly is the top agent in your neighborhood.
Selecting a top local agent with a proven track-record is critical when it comes time for your next move, as it means more money in your pocket at closing and access to innovative tools to help you discover your dream home. Contact us today if you need help choosing the right real estate agent, we are here to help, even if you are not located in the North Atlanta market!