| Whether you are like many potential home buyers and using an agent to find the foreclosure deals on the market right now in many parts of the US, or simply just looking for any home, your home purchase will be one of the most crucial investments you will make. With that in mind it is very important that you are working with someone who will be professional, really know what they are doing, and have your best interest in mind. While there are excellent agents in every market there are also bad ones.
Hopefully you will end up with one of the good ones, however in this article we are going to discuss a couple of warning signals to look for as to ones you might want to avoid. Do they take a long time to return your calls or respond to your emails? If they cannot respond to you in a timely manner the chances are they are not going to have time to respond to your seller’s agent or anyone else related in the transaction on time either. This can be a deal killer since certain items within a real estate transaction often have to meet certain deadlines. If you see those things early on you might consider looking elsewhere. There's nothing wrong with an agent who sets specific times to send and return calls, emails, faxes, etc., but an agent who misses his own times or simply delays is not likely to be doing their best for you.
If your agent is similar to the above maybe there is a reason for it. This could be that they are a part timer and work another job. Actually in many parts of the US most licensed agents are part timers and hold down other forms of employment. While most may set their schedule to do a fine job for their clients it’s quite obvious that a full time agent will have more time to deal with their clients and the related transaction. An agent who relies completely on real estate for their means of living is going to be a lot more aggressive, committed to you and your goals. It would not be a good feeling to lose out on a deal because your agent couldn’t get off of work in time to submit your offer.
You also want to be sure you are working with an ethical agent. Agents that insist that you use a particular company, such as a mortgage lender, insurance agent, inspector, etc. could be getting a kick back, which is cut of the fee you pay the other company. Receiving “kick backs” from mortgage lenders for example is illegal. This is to protect you, the home buyer because most mortgage lenders will simply increase their cost to you to offset what they have to pay the agent for the referral. While it is OK for them to recommend and refer you needed services such as a mortgage lender, be weary if they are insistent. Also make sure they always act above board in all things. If they are only trying to show you listings represented by their agency or saying other things that don’t sound quit right be careful. They may not have your best interest in mind.
In general go with your gut feeling when choosing an agent. If you feel they cannot dedicate themselves to you because they have limited time, or if you are getting the sleazy salesperson vibe from them then it’s generally a good idea to trust your gut feeling and keep looking. There are many honest and committed agents in every market.
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