So you are thinking about hiring a real estate agent to help you buy or sell property?  Below are some great tips that will help you choose the right agent.

Start by seeking referrals from family, friends, co-workers and others you trust, who have recently enjoyed success working with a real estate agent in Columbia MO.

Once you have a list of three or four real estate agents, you should try to meet with them in person for interviews.

You want someone who uses the latest in technology.  Before your interview, check out the real estate agents website….is it unique, well thought out design, or is it just another cookie cutter website? During your interviews, ask the real estate agents if they use a iPad or at least a smart phone, or ask in general how they use technology in helping their clients. Ask them to show you examples during your interview.  If you are relocating to Columbia MO and need the real estate agent to preview homes, having a way to take and send photos or videos from the homes is very helpful.

In this day and age your real estate agent needs to know the value of communication. It is no longer a phone call, but it is a text, a video, a Skype meeting or e-mail alerts. It is still about great customer service and that is why the new technologies must be embraced by agents so that the buyer may use whatever their preferred method.

A real estate agent should be selected based upon experience, production, research ability and ability to communicate effectively. This is a fluid, data driven business and the ability to communicate effectively with pointed opinions is vital. The ability to do that outside of ‘business’ hours is required as well.

Too often, buyers consider friendship, relations or a sense of ‘we have to use’ over competency and production. Buying a home involves multiple levels of risk, yet the public remains woefully inept and conflicted when it comes to qualifying an agent. All the data in the world is useless without an experienced agent to digest and explain it.

Your agent must have a whole system of professionals in place. It’s a different landscape today and if the agent doesn’t have any experience in these new areas, chances are the buyer will suffer in the process. You need a full time well-informed real estate agent who keeps their finger on the pulse of the market.