As you consider testing the market for downtown Austin luxury condos, you may be thinking about who could help you with the process. There’s a lot that happens during any real estate transaction, and many people find that it’s easier to make it to the finish line when they have an experienced real estate agent walking alongside them.

 

Choosing the best real estate agent will take some time and energy, but it’s an important decision and one that you shouldn’t take lightly. Here are a few things you can do as you think about who will help you shop for West Austin homes for sale.

It’s pretty easy to find testimonials or reviews from clients who have worked with a specific realtor in the past. For a complete picture of the experiences that people have had with a particular agent, check for reviews on a third-party platform like Google. Here, you’ll find all accounts of individuals’ past encounters with a realtor.

Also, some people can also find great recommendations by reaching out to friends and family and asking who they have worked with recently.

Check out Prospect Real Estate’s Google reviews here.

Some people will take up real estate as a part-time job or a side hustle. It’s a good way to get started in an industry that can be competitive for less experienced agents who don’t have a wide network of clients yet. However, many clients find that a full-time agent is more easily accessible and better prepared to serve their needs.

The last section mentioned searching for your realtor’s recent deals and seeing how many sales they had closed in the past year. You might also want to learn how many of these transactions took place over the past two or three months. This will tell you a few things. First of all, it will be another clue as to how active the realtor is with their practice. It will also show you how recently your realtor has worked with key industry professionals such as inspectors, appraisers, and other contractors. These people will be important for you to connect with as you look to complete your own sale or purchase and it’s helpful when your realtor can provide solid recommendations as to who might be the best person in the area to work with.

Most agents will take the time to sit down and meet you in-person, even if you haven’t officially agreed to begin working with them yet. You will learn a lot from sitting across the table from a potential realtor and hearing about their skills and past experience. You will also get a feel for what sort of communication style they have.

A good realtor will come prepared for this initial meeting. They will provide you with information about what the buying or selling process typically looks like. They will have clear next steps that you can follow if you decide to move forward in working with them. They should provide you with their contact information if you have questions after the meeting or if you want to take the next steps. It’s a good idea to take them up on this offer and follow up with them to ask a question after this initial meeting.

You’ll learn something about how they operate from how they respond. If they quickly provide you with a thoughtful and a personal response, they will be more likely to respond in this way throughout the time that the two of you are working together. If they don’t respond at all or if they give you a short answer to your question, chances are this is how they will operate in the future as well.

Once you decide to work with a particular realtor, they should provide you with an official listing agreement or buyer representation agreement  that outlines the commitment in detail and explains the obligations and responsibilities of both sides. This document will explain how long you and the realtor will work together and what must happen if either side feels that they want to terminate the deal. You can ask for a copy to review on your own time or you can ask the agent if they will walk you through the deal. Some people choose to have an impartial attorney review the agreement as well. If you choose to take this step, it’s wise to involve an attorney who specializes in real estate.

After a thorough search, many people find that the talented agents at Prospect Real Estate check each of these boxes. Their team is hard-working, dedicated, and trustworthy. They use their superior market knowledge and their wide range of experiences to earn the best deals for each of their clients. Reach out to their office when you’re ready to take the next step towards buying or selling West Austin homes for sale.