What is A Real Estate Agent?
There are a few different types of people who fall under the umbrella of real estate agent. You may hear words like buyers agent, listing agent, salesperson, broker, broker-salesperson, it can get confusing. Basically, a real estate agent is a licensed professional who has taken classes and passed exams on the laws of buying, selling and leasing real estate. A broker may have taken extra courses or can manage a brokerage or branch. You may have also heard the term Realtor. REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Do I need a Real Estate Agent?
It depends on how confident you are in your personal knowledge of the law, contingencies, contracts, processes and negotiation skills. You don’t need a contractor to build a house, you can do it yourself, but do you trust your building skills that you learned on YouTube tutorials? The professionals do these things everyday for a living, and whether buying or building, we are talking about the literal roof over your family’s heads.
Where Do I Find a Real Estate Agent?
Real estate agents can be found in almost every family, every neighborhood and every PTA across the states, but finding one that fits your needs may seem like a game of Where’s Waldo. If they’re so plentiful, why are they so hard to find? Because everyone wants something different and there is no cookie cutter, assembly line of the perfect agent. The basis of any beginner search is, you guessed it, good ‘ole Google. A simple tap of the keys searching for ‘Real estate agent’ and your zip code is an easy place to begin. You can ask your friends and family for recommendations through social media or there are companies that will save you the hassle and compare the top agents in your area for you, for free.
