So you’ve decided to buy a home. That’s awesome! Whether it’s your first home or your fifth, you still have to find the best Denver Realtor for your purposes. They have to sit down with you, understand your needs and show you the types of homes that you might be interested in.
A good Realtor is one who anticipates your needs rather than just showing you what you say you’re interested in. For example, you might only be interested in three-bedroom houses. But a good Realtor may throw in a large townhome as well to see if it wouldn’t suit you better. Or they might show you houses in a few different areas, not just the one you’re considering.
A good Realtor is going to be able to give you the benefit of experience, and this can sometimes mean helping you to widen your horizons and find that perfect home, even if it’s quite different from what you were originally considering.
Here are a few things to consider when you’re trying to choose the best Denver Realtor:
It is best to choose a Realtor who has a lot of experience. And you might also want to check to make sure that their experience is the type that will benefit you. It can help to research a few Realtors before you make a final decision.
- Type of Experience: If you’re looking to buy a house, it doesn’t make much sense to choose a Realtor who has a lot of experience selling apartments. A Realtor who specializes in commercial real estate won’t be the right person to help you with residential real estate. If a Realtor generally deals with properties that are out of your price range, you may not benefit from their experience.
- Your Needs/Requirements: The best thing is to sit down and think about exactly what you’re looking for in a home, in terms of size, neighborhood, amenities available in the area, budget etc. Then start researching Realtors to see which ones specialize in the type of home that will suit you.
- Internet and In-Person Research: Nowadays, the best place to research Realtors is on the internet. Most, if not all, Realtors will give you information about properties they have helped buy or sell on their websites, along with pictures, price ranges, customer testimonials etc. If you’re not that tech savvy, you can always go and speak to a few Realtors in their offices and they will be able to give you the same information.
Everybody wants to be able to make their own decision about which Realtor would be best for them. You want to go by what you think about that Realtor rather than what everyone else says. But it’s still a good idea to look at Realtor reviews and see if there’s a certain trend that runs through them.
- Unbiased Reviews: Nowadays, there are independent websites where people can post unbiased reviews. So you don’t have to be dependent on what the Realtor’s website says. Check to see how many stars the Realtor’s customers give them and whether they’re satisfied with their purchases.
- Specificity in Reviews: You can also check reviews to see whether there’s some kind of trend running through the reviews. For example, you may find that people are generally satisfied with the Realtor’s services when they’re buying houses but not so much when they’re buying apartments. Or they may have found the Realtor easy to work with but not as efficient as they might have liked. Reading these reviews can help you to figure out whether the Realtor has the specific qualities you’re looking for.
- Reviews on Social Media: Looking up the Realtor’s social media pages may also be a good idea because customers can post comments on these independently. You can check to see if the Realtor has a number of “likes” or positive comments.
- Personal Recommendations: While you’re doing research over the internet, don’t forget to get personal recommendations from friends as well. If one of your friends has bought a place that they’re satisfied with and that appeals to you as well, make sure you get the number of their Realtor.
Approachability
A Realtor might have a lot of experience and great reviews. However, if you don’t feel comfortable working with them, then they’re obviously not right for you. And this is something you can tell when you sit down for the first time to talk to them.
- Talking Face-to-Face: You can do your internet research, make a list of the Realtors who seem best and then talk to each of them face to face. Go with the one who seems to really understand what you’re looking for and has the ability to be your advisor throughout the process. Most of the time, you’ll be able to tell, from the first conversation itself, whether this is someone you feel comfortable with. Remember to trust your instincts in addition to the opinions of others.
- Qualities to Look For: The Realtor should be enthusiastic about finding you a place; they shouldn’t feel as though the job is beneath them. Neither should they keep trying to persuade you to look at places that are completely different from what you’re looking for, just because they’re trying to sell them. A Realtor’s job is to gently push you in the right direction. Asking you to consider something that is a little bit different from what you want is one thing. But it’s not right for a Realtor to completely disregard your needs.
Working with Your Realtor
Once you’ve found the Realtor who has all the qualities you’re looking for, you still have to maintain a good working relationship with them. And doing this depends mostly on communication. You have to be able to communicate your needs to your Realtor, take their input and then make your final decision.
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- Prioritizing Your Needs: A lot of people feel reluctant to communicate what they really want to their Realtors. You might feel embarrassed to point out that a home is not within your budget. Or you might feel reluctant to openly reject something that your Realtor seems to think is really great. But you need to remember that it’s you who’s going to be living in that home, not your Realtor. So it’s your needs that matter most. A good Realtor will appreciate the honest feedback because it allows them to serve you better.
- Knowing What You’re Looking For: The best thing to do is to sit down and make a list of all the things you’re looking for in a home and then communicate them to your Realtor. Even providing your Realtor with a written list is a great idea. In fact, they’ll be thankful to you for making their job easier.
- Re-evaluating as Time Goes On: It’s also possible for your priorities to change as time goes by. After you see a few homes, you might realize that you had neglected to include certain things that you really want in a home. Or you might come to feel that certain things which you thought were important really aren’t that essential. Either way, you need to let your Realtor know what you’re thinking and feeling so that they can help you to find the best possible home for you.
Contact me if you’re looking for a Realtor with all experience, knowledge, and a desire to help you achieve your real estate goals. I invite all buyers to my office to learn about the value my team and I bring to the table, and I visit sellers’ homes to get a first hand understanding while we discuss selling your home. Let’s start a conversation…
Hi, I'm 
My brother is currently in the market for his first home. He’s not sure how the process works, and he could use some professional help looking for the right house. I didn’t realize how important it is to choose a realtor that specialized in the specific type of property you are looking for to ensure you get a good value. I’ll be sure to tell my brother about this information.