Finding a Realtor

Step 1: Search, Create A List, Do Your Due Diligence. You’ll want to obtain as many as 3-7 names.
•    Word of Mouth. Ask people you trust for recommendations. Ask your friends, family, financial planner, attorney, or local politician. Call local agencies and ask who their top producers are.
•    Ask Around Town. Good Realtors are actively involved in their communities, serving on town boards, school communities, new family networks, and chambers of commerce. Find them.
•    Use the Internet. The Internet is an incredibly powerful tool to find potential Realtors and vet recommendations. Understand that all savvy, sales oriented Realtors have a web presence and they know how to leverage internet marketing and social media. Google the town/city and “homes realtors” and see what comes up. Read their articles on ActiveRain, a Realtor blog site. Check their Facebook or Twitter pages.
•    Use MLS. Virtually every Realtor website enables you to access Multiple Listing Service (MLS) information. With MLS access, you should be able to get a sense of which Realtor has a high number of listings and sales in the town or neighborhood you desire.
•   Check License/Designations. You can check a Massachusetts Realtor’s state license status here on the Real Estate Board of Registration site. Check if the Realtor is a Certified Residential Specialist (CRE), Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR), Certified Real Estate Brokerage Management (CRB).

Step 2: Interviews. Armed with the above information, a buyer or seller should narrow the pool with phone or personal interviews, and ask the tough questions. •    Basics. Are you a full time broker? How many years experience do you have? What is your educational background and real estate training?
•    Listings. How many listings have you had in the last 2 years? How many sales of those listings? How many expired listings have you had in the last 2 years?
•    Marketing. What’s your marketing strategy for new listings? What’s your pricing strategy? Do you recommend home staging? What marketing outlets do you find most effective?
•    Preparation. A good test of a Realtor’s acumen is whether he comes well prepared to your meeting.
•    Type of Agency. Some Realtors represent solely buyers. Some focus only on sellers. Most cater to both. But there are different agency rules for each type of representation. By law, your Realtor must explain which agency you are operating under, and review and have you sign the Massachusetts Mandatory Licensee-Consumer Relationship Disclosure form.
•    Communication. Are you available to us when we need you? Do you use an assistant? Can we contact you after hours? Being accessible and responsive separates the good realtors from the average.
•    Recommendations. Do you have written recommendations from clients or can we contact your 3 most recent clients?

Step 3. Select your Realtor. Go with your instincts. Remember, a good Realtor does not tell her client what he or she wants to hear. You are looking for independent, professional advice.