How to Choose a Realtor®

By Yvonne Davis, CRB, CRS, GRI, RE/MAX Equity Group, Inc.

2007 PMAR President

With more than 7,900 Realtors® in the Portland metropolitan area, choosing one to help you with your real estate transaction can be overwhelming. We’ve provided some basic guidelines for hiring a Realtor® to manage your real estate transaction.

Before you hire a Realtor®, it is important to interview a few different brokers. Ask friends and family for recommendations. Keep your eyes open for Realtor® ads in your local newspaper. Search for Realtors® with advanced education or experience (www.pmarmdc.com or www.oregoncrs.org are just a few of the sites we recommend). Or, visit www.rmls.com to do a general search for a Realtor® in your area.

We’ve compiled some basic questions you should ask when evaluating a potential Realtor®. You may want to add to the list depending upon the personal expectations that you have for your transaction.

1) Do you have an active real estate license in good standing? Are you a Realtor®?

In order to sell real estate, a broker must be licensed by the State of Oregon and must meet minimum standards for education. After receiving a real estate license, most brokers go on to join their local Realtor® association. As Realtors®, they are held to a high standard of conduct.

2) How long have you been in residential real estate? Is it your full-time job?

While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate, like many other professions, is mostly learned on the job.

3) What designations do you hold?

Designations such as GRI or CRS require real estate professionals to take additional, specialized real estate training.

4) Will you represent me exclusively, or will you represent both the buyer and the seller in the transaction?

A competent Realtor® will explain the agency relationship to you, and describe the rights of each party. Stay tuned for our August Real Estate Insider column, when we explore this issue in-depth.

5) What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell my home?

According to the National Association of Realtors® 2006 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 80% of buyers used the Internet to search for a home. Other information searches commonly used in home searches include yard signs, newspaper ads, open houses, and home magazines.

6) How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction?

The answer should be evaluated depending upon your preference. Do you want to be updated twice a week, or do you want to only be contacted if it is a possible offer?

7) Please provide names and phone numbers of three of your most recent clients.

Follow these basic guidelines to hire the Realtor® that best fits your needs, and you’ll soon be on your way to a successful real estate transaction!

Do you have a question about real estate that you’d like answered? Let us know! Send your real estate related questions to us at ecoffey@pmar.org (be sure to note “Real Estate Insider” in the subject line), and we may feature the answer in a future column.

Yvonne Davis, CRB, CRS, GRI, is a managing broker and Realtor® with RE/MAX Equity Group, Inc., as well as the 2007 PMAR President.

For additional real estate resources, visit www.pmar.org.