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10 Questions to Ask Your Canandaigua Real Estate Agent Part 1

10 Questions to Ask Your Canandaigua Real Estate Agent Part 1

Are you a full-time professional real estate agent?
How long have you worked full time in real estate?
How long have you been representing buyers?
What professional designations do you have?

Knowing whether or not your agent practices full time can help you determine potential scheduling conflicts and his or her commitment to your transaction. As with any profession, the number of years a person has been in the business does not necessarily reflect the level of service you can expect, but it is a good starting point for your discussion. The same issue can apply to professional designations.

Do you have a personal assistant, team or staff to handle different parts of the purchase?
What are their names and how will each of them help me in my transaction?
How do I communicate with them?

It is not uncommon for agents who sell a lot of houses to hire people to work with them. As their businesses grow, they must be able to deliver the same or higher quality service to more people. You may want to know who on the team will take part in your transaction, and what role each person will play. You may even want to meet the other team members before you decide to work with the team. If you have a question about fees on your closing statement, who would handle that? Who will show up to your closing?
 
Do you have a Website that will list my home?
Can I have your URL address?
Who responds to emails and how quickly?
What's your email address?
Many buyers prefer to search online for homes because it's available 24 hours a day and can be done at home. So you want to make sure your home is listed online, either on the agent's Website or on their company's site. By searching your agent's Website you will get a clear picture of how much information is available online.
 
How will you keep in contact with me during the selling process, and how often?
Some agents may email, fax or call you daily to tell you that visitors have toured your home, while others will keep in touch weekly. Asking this question can help you to reconcile your needs with your agent's systems.
What do you do that other agents don't that ensures I'm getting top dollar for my home? What is your average market time versus other agents' average market time? Marketing skills are learned, and sometimes a real estate professional's unique method of research and delivery make the difference between whether or not a home sells quickly. For example, an agent might research the demographics of your neighborhood and present you a target market list for direct marketing purposes.

Will you give me names of past clients?
Interviewing an agent can be similar to interviewing someone to work in your office. Contacting references can be a reliable way for you to understand how he or she works, and whether or not this style is compatible with your own.