To find the best agent, start by talking to people who invest in the same types of properties as you currently have or desire to buy. Lenders in that field will also be knowledgeable. Do any agents provide seminars on your topic? What do agents advertise about themselves?
When you have about a dozen names of agents, call each of them. Ask some initial screening questions about their experience in your specialty interest and whether they usually represent buyers or sellers. Have a few questions ready even though you already know the answers. You want to test the agent to see if he or she also knows the answer. No fair asking anything tricky or obscure - the goal here is to hire a good agent, not to flunk some student you think is obnoxious.
When you have the field narrowed down to three people, schedule in-person interviews. You want to see if your personalities are compatible. Does the agent listen to you and give appropriate responses, or does he or she seem intent on selling him- or herself and obtaining a contract? Is he or she confident, dressed in a manner appropriate to his or her specialty, and organized? Is he or she clear and straightforward regarding services and fees? Ask what makes him or her better than the competition. Does he or she immediately give you solid reasons, fumble for an answer, or resort to trashing his or her competitors? Does he or she interact in a professional manner, or does he or she seem flippant, vulgar, or too personal? By the end of the interviews, you should be in a position to hire an agent.
Your agent is obligated to keep all your information and plans confidential. There are three problems with this in real life.
1. Buyers often work with a real estate agent who is really the subagent of the seller. In other words, the listing agent represents the seller, but the agent you are working with - even if he or she from a different company - also represents the seller. In that situation, your information will not be kept confidential. In fact, the agent will be obligated to reveal everything to his or her actual client - the seller. If you want something kept confidential, make sure you have something in writing stating that you are the client and the agent represents you. This is a subtle point that some agents do not understand and many have difficulty explaining to consumers.
2. Unfortunately, a few agents misunderstand their responsibilities regarding confidentiality, or they simply do not care or are careless. For example, I once bought a piece of property that had been listed for US Dollars 219,000, but I was prepared to offer US Dollars 185,000. The seller's agent, desperate to make a sale before her listing expired, told me that the seller was on the verge of bankruptcy and would be grateful to get US Dollars 155,000 for the property. That is what I offered and that is what I paid for the piece of property. The agent should never have shared that information with me.
3. Some agents will keep absolutely secret all your financial circumstances but think it is okay to blab your investment plans to every other agent in town. The first time you have a great, creative idea and someone beats you to it, you will know why this is so important. Do not take chances. Stress to the agent that your specific plans and identity should be kept confidential, although the agent can ask others if they have listings on the general type of property you are seeking.
Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Webworldarticles.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.
This article was sent to us by:
Brian S. Kelley at
07042010
1. Investing In Commercial Real Estate
All articles in this directory are property of their respective authors. Additionally, read our Privacy Policy
© 2010 WebWorldarticles.com - All Rights Reserved.