How to Choose a Realtor® as a First-Time Home Buyer

By Mark Spain Real Estate

Buying your first home is a thrilling experience. However, it can also be stressful, especially if you’re doing it alone. Most first-time home buyers need a Realtor® by their side to help guide them through their house hunt. With their industry expertise, it’s easy for buyers to find the home of their dreams. 

If you’re a first-time home buyer, rest assured we got your back! With our help, you can find an experienced Realtor® like the ones at Mark Spain Real Estate. Our seasoned buyers’ agents have decades of industry experience and are ready to find you your first home. If you’re nervous about buying your first home, let us calm your nerves with our guide on choosing a Realtor® as a first-time home buyer.

How to Choose a Realtor® as a First-Time Home Buyer

Determine Your Wants and Needs 

Home shopping can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know what you want. So, before you even think about hiring a Realtor®, you must create your home buyer wish list. On this list, you can include absolute non-negotiables, like having a big backyard for your pet or a home close to your child’s school, along with fun, nonessential features, like a backyard pool or smart home technology. You’ll want to make this list as detailed as possible!

Knowing your wants and needs will help you and your Realtor® narrow down your home selection. As a result, you will have an easier time finding a home that checks your boxes. However, remember your budget when narrowing down your choices. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is aiming for homes out of your price range and being disappointed when your offers are denied. 

Research Candidates

As a first-time home buyer, your next step is researching candidates. This will probably be the most crucial step in your Realtor® selection process. As you search online for prospective buyers’ agents, here are a few of the things you should look out for:

• Active licensing and good standings
• Experience working with first-time home buyers
• Knowledge of your market 
• Strong communication skills
• Membership to a home buyer search service

You will find all this information by evaluating agents’ websites, social media, and client reviews. We recommend taking notes of your findings and using those to narrow down your selection to about three candidates. 

Ask for Referrals 

If you’re buying a home in a smaller market, you might use referrals to complement your candidate research. Your friends, family, and other community members often have recommendations worth considering. And if you have certain Realtors® on your radar, ask about them! Doing so will give you a better understanding of an agent’s reputation in your community. 

Conduct Interviews 

Once you’ve narrowed your selection to just a few candidates, it’s time to start asking the hard-hitting questions! The interview step is typically where a first-time home buyer starts to lean toward one candidate over another. For this step, your job is to develop a list of questions that will tell you all you need to know about each agent. Here are a few key ones to ask:

• How long have you been in real estate? 
• Do you hold any specific designations?
• What markets/neighborhoods do you focus on? 
• Do you have a background in buying the kind of property I want?
• Do you have experience working with first-time home buyers?
• Do you work alone or with a team?
• How will you communicate with me throughout the buying process?
• What sets you apart from other Realtors®?
• How do you handle home-buying negotiations? 
• What is your home-buying strategy?

Ask for References 

The last question you should ask in your interviews is if the candidate has references they can provide. These references should include at least three past clients willing to share their home-buying experiences. When contacting these references, you should ask them several specific questions about their agent’s performance. You might inquire about how quickly it took them to find a home and if they are satisfied with their purchase. You might also ask how communicative their agent was throughout the buying process and if they could answer questions effectively. These questions and more will give you a clear picture of which Realtor® is best for you. 

Buy Your First Home With Mark Spain Real Estate

Are you a first-time home buyer? The industry professionals at Mark Spain Real Estate are here to aid your house hunt! Delivering unparalleled customer satisfaction, our team of experienced listing consultants promises a smooth, stress-free buying experience! Check out our Guaranteed Offer Program for the potential to receive a competitive cash offer on your home in only 21 days. Contact our agents today!

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