Questions about Real Estate Agents (Charleston, Summerville: appointed, sales, to rent)

[2coastal]

My wife and I are moving to the Summerville area in the next few months and we haven't chosen a Real Estate agent yet.

I would love some honest feedback from agents and non-agents on choosing an agent. We are looking at the 350-400 range and we are well qualified buyers. We feel good about our options but outside of throwing darts at a phonebook, we don't know how to begin the process of choosing the right agent. Any suggestions on where to start? I like what I see from the Keller/Williams and the Carolina One people but so far nothing set in stone.

We also feel like we would be a desirable commodity in this market so how do we make sure we make the most of this opportunity?

Also, are there Real Estate idiosyncrasies of the Summerville/Charleston area that I should be aware of?

Thanks, I really appreciate your input and I've already really benefitted from all of your participation!

[USCJoe]

I honestly believe that you can tell a lot about a Realtor, their knowledge of an area and their professionalism by looking at their personal web site, their timeliness and competence in answering your e-mails and their willingness to preview potential properties prior to your visit to Charleston. I also think that it is important that they are a full time Realtor, have been in business for at least a few years and have a large number of past clients whom they have represented as "buyer's agents" rather than having the majority of their sales through listing property. I personally have dealt with many excellent Realtors in the Charleston area from not only the largest firms but also the smallest firms in the area. If I were choosing a potential Realtor with whom I would be working, I would also want one who uses a comprehensive addendum to the sales contract used by most Realtors in the Charleston to protect my interests and have the ability to withdraw from a buyer's agency agreement should my Realtor not provide me with the representation I anticipated and deserved. These are just my personal thoughts and beliefs and certainly there may be Realtors who would differ and/or operate in a different manner.

[DJShymansky]

In addition to all of the above, find someone you're comfortable with and who can put you at ease. You may or may not be spending a great deal of time with this person, depending on your wants. Find someone who has all of the above, and is personable enough to handle your needs and wants, all while keeping your stress at a minimum. Buying a home is supposed to be fun, too.

[2coastal]

USC Joe: Thanks for the tip on the comprehensive addendum and the websites. For better or for worse, the websites are definitely forming a lot of my opinions on what draws my attention. I feel guilty saying that because it's such a subjective way to base such an important decision but if that's all I have to go on right now, it is part of the equation!

DJShy: There's a lot to what you said and I make a lot of decisions based on personality and gut reactions to people -- also for better of for worse. It such a relief when you can have a big transaction like this with people you like and respect instead of giving your business to someone that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth -- oh and you just gave them a nice chunk of $$!

[emilybh]

I think you'll find most realtors are nice. The trick is to find the ones who are really willing to work as hard as you need them to work. My experience with the realtors I started to use here was that when push came to shove and I needed them to find me a place, (after I decided to rent first to make sure I liked the area and to give me time to figure out where I wanted to buy), after they showed me a few that weren't satisfactory, they left me in the lurch. Communication seemed to stop. Soon it was crunch time and I had to find a place with or without a realtor as my closing date was quickly approaching and I was going to have to get out of my house and move somewhere. I ended up having to research everything myself, pouring over Post & Courier listings and Craig's List and found a place my agent SHOULD have thought to show me that was one of the listings on Charleston Real Estate Guide.com, but didn't. I rented it sight unseen. It is bigger,with more amenities and less expensive and in a better location than anything the agent showed me. Then after i moved in, the agent or team of agents, still kept sending me new listings thinking I'd be dumb enough to still want to use them to buy a place after that.

I would ask them how hard they are willing to work for you and ask specifics like if you see a listing on-line and want to go see it and call the agent to ask them to set an appointment, would it be reasonable to expect to hear back from them the same day about when they scheduled the appointment? If not, how many days would you have to wait for a return phone call?

When you think about it, you can do a lot of the reseach yourself. All you need them, INITIALLY, for is to set an appointment to see the homes you want to see or to get information about them and report back to you. It was frustrating to me to have to wait days to get answers to questions I had about properties from the agent I was using when I could have gotten the answer instantly myself by calling the listing agent listed for the property. If you can't expect prompt attentive service when you are just looking, it is probably safe to say that they won't be very reliable or helpful when you are in the trenches with inspections and negotiations of prices etc. Of Course, when I stopped hearing from the realtor and NEEDED to find a place, I ended up doing it myself in the end.

Needless to say, if you are the type of person like I am who doesn't want to leave any stone unturned, make sure you find a realtor who is at least willing to work as hard as you are. In all honesty, I didn't ask any questions to gauge how hard a worker the agent was, but I will next time! The agent I originally thought would work with me wanted one of his "team members" to work with me so I went along with it.

[SCDweller]

Everyone has mentioned great points and I would just add a few more that you've probably taken into consideration...
1. Amount of time in the industry and the area...Someone who has been doing this 15+ years is going to have more experience and wisdom than someone who hasn't. In this market, it is very easy to show houses to buyers and write offers with the amount of inventory that is out there right now. However, you will want an agent that has been in buyer's markets before and knows how to write the contract, negotiate the best price for you, give you their wisdom and expertise on if the house/area you are buying is going to really fit your needs 1, 5 and 10 years down the road. (and all those years in between ) I always tell my clients they make their money when they purchase their home, not when they sell. This is because I work very hard to make sure they are buying wisely in the right area and for the right price so when they go to sell they aren't disappointed and can enjoy a great amount of equity.
2.Web Presence- I agree with Joe that this is very important. It does represent your agents willingness to invest in their business to make it the most informative and helpful for you (the client). If their website doesn't have unique information, a blog, development information etc...it means they aren't putting time into researching and knowing their area and industry.
Personality and getting along with everyone is very important too.
I've always found that the bottom line is that you will want to work with a professional. Someone who will handle your business professionally and make sure you are given the service and attention you deserve. Read testimonials on people's websites and try to get a feel for them on the phone.
Hope this helps~
Sincerely,
Foster

[Jim3310]

I feel the website factor can be too subjective, but it may give some insight to their personality. It's quite easy to purchase a website & have someone run it for you. Does it rank up there on Google? Is that due to 'pay per hits'? Testimonials can often be discounted for obvious reasons.

Read their bio & see if they click with you at first blush. Then call or write to the ones you like for info on a specific property or need & see what response you get compared to the others. Sign nothing until you are serious.
jim

[USCJoe]

I differ a bit on viewing the quality of a real estate web site as too subjective. It is quite easy to purchase a web site, fill it with generic and generalized information and have someone run it for you. However, I personally do not believe that such a web site is particularly informative to a prospective client and communicates a lazy and/or unprofessional attitude or approach on the part of the Realtor. I believe that every professional has an obligation to provide as much informative information about their profession, product or service as possible, if they decide to promote themselves and their community on a web site. This can be done by personally building and adding to their own web site or hiring a web site professional to put a "first class" informative web site together for them. Any professional should "go the extra mile" in everything they do. In my opinion , a generic uninformative web site may be indicative of the effort they expend to represent their clients.

[Jim3310]

And then again, some are too busy actually working for their clients...

Just because they don't have a great up to the minute website certainly doesn't mean they are "lazy and/or unprofessional".

For certain. it's great if you have the time to do it yourself, but then again, some do not have the technological expertise to do it themselves.

My point was, there are some that look like they are personalized to the average client, but I know better when I meet those Realtors in person and ask them about it.

The internet can be deceiving, and needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Just check your home on Zillow!
jim

[DJShymansky]

Just check your home on Zillow!

Touche!