Work with more than one Realtor? (Phoenix, Mesa: assessor, broker, houses)

[miltner]

I have taken early retirement and will be relocating to Phoenix soon. We are traveling to PHX in mid-June to start looking for a house to buy. We are going to focus in the Northwest Valley initially but will branch out into the Southeast Valley if necessary. It would seem that we need to work with two different agents because these areas are so far apart. Does this make sense?

[breakingbad]

You want a realtor who is familiar with the area you are interested in and that can negotiate effectively for you...ou don't want a realtor that is out classed by the other agents more familiar with the area. You also want an agent that can be readily available to show houses and deliver documents/contracts to you.
If that takes two realtors, go for it.
Good luck in your search...and retirement!

[Captain Bill]

When you work with two Realtors, you understand that one of them will be working for free, which is something that no one likes to do.

Therefore, I suggest that you be honest and up front with any Realtor you talk to so they know what your intentions are going in. Then they can decide if they want to work with you.

[gtbguy]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

When you work with two Realtors, you understand that one of them will be working for free, which is something that no one likes to do.

Therefore, I suggest that you be honest and up front with any Realtor you talk to so they know what your intentions are going in. Then they can decide if they want to work with you.

Totally agree, I only work with one and has worked quite well that way. You just need to find one that you connect with and who isn't lazy and you should be fine.

[AZPam]

While I agree with Capt Bill, that you need to be honest and up front, I vote for two Realtors. I am honest with my buyers. I don't know the west side of town at all and am not the best choice for showing property over there. But I do know the east side of town like the back of my hand!

[MotleyCrew]

I agree that you should be honest with your realtor and often if one does not know an area they can find a realtor to work with you in the area of choice and perhaps get a small referral fee for their work.

[S. Chris Webb]

Unless you find a rare agent (they do exist) that knows the entire Valley well, you may need two different agents. However, as Captain Bill said, if you work with both at the same time, one will be working for free (and wasting their resources). Not only that, but you put the agents (and possibly yourself) in the awkward position of being in the middle of an ugly commission dispute. Why not start off on one side of the Valley with one agent, and if nothing on that side suits you, then start working on the other side of the Valley. Make it very clear to both agents what you are doing. Even better, put it in writing (a Buyer-Broker Agreement that specifically excludes the other part of the Valley for which you are using the other agent comes to mind).

One thing I always recommend to buyers not familiar with the Valley is to get acquainted with the different parts of the Valley first before deciding to settle in one specific location. At least drive around the different neighborhoods to see if you like them before asking an agent to search for houses for you there.

I wish you the best of luck with both your retirement, and in your relocation to the Phoenix area!

[khuntrevor]

you need to do your groundwork before you arrive. The days of showing up at a RE Office, taking a ride and looking at houses are long gone. Put a price on your house hunting....300 per day? 500 per day? Find something acceptable and try to get a good deal. The picture perfect ones are going to have offers before you even ask about them. The out of towners tend to get sucked into poor locations based on the "fresh look" of the exurbs. You can start by learning how to access the assessor data and also learning how to use google earth.

[Captain Bill]

You can do most of the research on your own, about what the cities on the west side such as Surprise, Peoria, Goodyear, Glendale, etc., have to offer. And the cities on the east side, such as my area of Gilbert, Mesa and Chandler.

Researching the vast data available on the internet about these cities will give you a fairly good idea of which side may be of more interest to you.

Then you can approach an agent on the west side and let him/her know that you are considering the west or east side, and ask them to spend a couple of hours with you to help you learn more about their area.

Let him/her know that you will be doing the same thing on the east valley, and if you decide on the west side, then you'll get back to that agent.

Then do the same thing with an agent on the east side. Any agent will be willing to give you a couple of hours of their time to give you more insight into their areas, as long as you're up front with them.

After getting some orientation from the agent, you spend more time on your own, driving through specific communities, shopping centers, etc., researching to see which is the best fit.

Once you've decided on the area, it's time to get back to the agent on the side you choose and begin looking at communities and houses to narrow the search down.

The houses on both sides of the valley are close to the same, so it will be a waste of everyone's time to begin looking at homes until you decide what city will work for you.

[khuntrevor]

I was simultaneously making offers in LV and PHX, and I told both, what I was doing. It created a little competition, I think. Also, the guy here, who lost out, got my business less than a year later. I was a cash buyer, who needed a home, and was picking the properties. So they were doing a little foot work, but mostly writing offers. They did not have to sell me on an area or anything like that..it was all calculated business decisions. Paperless agents are out there.....