The Poojer Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 how would you search for a realtor? What tools would you use to do some preliminary legwork? Is there any difference between Zillow, Realtor etc? I was given a name of a realtor from a former friend, she didn't seem to be concerned with helping someone in my 'price range'. I reached out to a friend/acquaintance who is a realtor and getting an appointment was a struggle, then when we finally settled on a meeting, she didn't show. Both coincidentally were with the same Berkshire Hathaway firm. I am hoping to find something by July. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Bob Lamb Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 (edited) Look around your area - what signs are posted? Note the agencies. Contact them. Some realtors will look at a neighborbood and say it is below their $$ level. I ran into that in a hot California market. There will be someone else that is interested. Zillow can be quite misleading if it is a hot market. Edited January 30, 2018 by Bob Lamb 2
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 Good luck. It’s a crapshoot really. Check the area for sales how long on the market and prices. If you can determine the realtor it could help picking one.
Just Jack Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 46 minutes ago, The Poojer said: Both coincidentally were with the same Berkshire Hathaway firm. There's your problem, you don't have Berkshire Hathaway tastes or money. You need a firm like House R Us. Seriously though, I don't know.
plenzmd1 Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 1 hour ago, The Poojer said: how would you search for a realtor? What tools would you use to do some preliminary legwork? Is there any difference between Zillow, Realtor etc? I was given a name of a realtor from a former friend, she didn't seem to be concerned with helping someone in my 'price range'. I reached out to a friend/acquaintance who is a realtor and getting an appointment was a struggle, then when we finally settled on a meeting, she didn't show. Both coincidentally were with the same Berkshire Hathaway firm. I am hoping to find something by July. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Pooj, if you go to Realtor.com, there is a find a realtor button in there. Hit advance search and you can plug in zip codes you are interested in buying, and then sort results by a ton of different filters.Always good to find someone who has a lot of listings in the general price range and location you are interested in, even if you are just buying. Going to take some time doing the research, but prolly well worth it. 2
Guffalo Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 Could it be that with a July time frame they are not interested? I have looked online at homes, and in one case found a realtor based on the home I found, the house was in contract, but it was a great realtor, I ended up buying a different house with her. When we outgrew that house, I used her again to get the next house which wasn't her listing, but was on MLS. What I liked (personal preference) was she just opened the door and got me access, I knew what works and didn't work. She just let us go through and check out stuff and would add a comment if I missed something. We bought something out of state recently, and that realtor was good although she was recommended by a friend. Same MO, she gave us a list of 20 homes to look at and had us pare it down to about 4-5 for the day. We met her and just went through and she allowed us in, let us roam through the places, and pointed out anything we may have overlooked. We may end up buying again in the same out of state location and I will definitely use her again. My advice, use the web to zero in a bit, once you talk to a few when they call back, see if you connect with any. Good luck, happy hunting
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 Zillo or Redfin. Who needs a realtor to look. Selling is is another item altogether
Chef Jim Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 I'm a big fan of Redfin. They aren't in all markets though
plenzmd1 Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 16 hours ago, Chef Jim said: I'm a big fan of Redfin. They aren't in all markets though They killing it in DC for sure. Not here in Richmond yet.
Guffalo Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 The realtor we used in SC ended up moving to Redfin, she said they work more as a team, less commission based, more team based.
Augie Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 19 hours ago, ShadyBillsFan said: Zillo or Redfin. Who needs a realtor to look. Selling is is another item altogether I lived in this world for a while. I despise Zillow for their bogus estimates and Redfin is not my favorite. If you want to buy, Realtor.com is by far the most up-to-date. I can’t tell you how many calls I got from people on Zillow about a house I leased weeks ago. It’s got VERY annoying. Having said all that, if you’re buying the agent is free. They get paid out of the commission. There no reason NOT to have one. They can set you up with an MLS search designed just for you (# of bedrooms, baths, school district, pool?, etc.). You’ll get email alerts for anything new to the market or on price changes. Finding a GOOD one is trickier as that will matter big time later on when it comes to negotiating. You’ve heard of the 80/20 rule? It’s more like 95/5 rule in real estate. About 5% of the agents do 95% of the deals. Check their websites, it will usually have a bio and include “recent” deals. You can tell how “active” they are there a lot of times. Don’t get a part time agent who also cuts hair.
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) 57 minutes ago, Augie said: I lived in this world for a while. I despise Zillow for their bogus estimates and Redfin is not my favorite. If you want to buy, Realtor.com is by far the most up-to-date. I can’t tell you how many calls I got from people on Zillow about a house I leased weeks ago. It’s got VERY annoying. Having said all that, if you’re buying the agent is free. They get paid out of the commission. There no reason NOT to have one. They can set you up with an MLS search designed just for you (# of bedrooms, baths, school district, pool?, etc.). You’ll get email alerts for anything new to the market or on price changes. Finding a GOOD one is trickier as that will matter big time later on when it comes to negotiating. You’ve heard of the 80/20 rule? It’s more like 95/5 rule in real estate. About 5% of the agents do 95% of the deals. Check their websites, it will usually have a bio and include “recent” deals. You can tell how “active” they are there a lot of times. Don’t get a part time agent who also cuts hair. I can say that I was looking for close to 5 years in Virginia and it was a PIA I used both as a reference along with Realtor.com. You have to do your homework and not trust any one site. Picking a realtor is also something that takes research. Outside the prices the others were easier than navigate iirc Edited January 31, 2018 by ShadyBillsFan
Augie Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 33 minutes ago, ShadyBillsFan said: I can say that I was looking for close to 5 years in Virginia and it was a PIA I used both as a reference along with Realtor.com. You have to do your homework and not trust any one site. Picking a realtor is also something that takes research. Outside the prices the others were easier than navigate iirc Agreed, a ton of options these days. I can say using Zillow and some others can waste some time as they are not as up to date as Realtor.com. I know this for a fact. If you prefer the ease of use elsewhere, check on Realtor before getting too excited. Don’t waste time and fall in love with what’s no longer available. Theyre not always wrong, just not as current. Getting a good agent is a huge deal.
Nanker Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 Check local small newspapers and social media for ratings. Youre buying - right? Look for the realtor that advertises the most and consistently in your area of interest. Good luck Pooj.
LabattBlue Posted February 1, 2018 Posted February 1, 2018 Everyone knows multiple "best realtor ever". I had a friend solicit for a realtor on facebook last year, and there must have been at least 100 responses. lol Good luck pooj.
Buffalo_Gal Posted February 1, 2018 Posted February 1, 2018 26 minutes ago, mead107 said: New house have to be next to a brewery?????? I want my next house to be next door to my favorite winery. ??? 1
BringBackFergy Posted February 1, 2018 Posted February 1, 2018 On 1/30/2018 at 6:15 PM, The Poojer said: how would you search for a realtor? What tools would you use to do some preliminary legwork? Is there any difference between Zillow, Realtor etc? I was given a name of a realtor from a former friend, she didn't seem to be concerned with helping someone in my 'price range'. I reached out to a friend/acquaintance who is a realtor and getting an appointment was a struggle, then when we finally settled on a meeting, she didn't show. Both coincidentally were with the same Berkshire Hathaway firm. I am hoping to find something by July. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Pooj - trying to figure out from your post if you are buying or selling.
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