7 Critical Questions to Ask Before Hiring a REALTOR

BEFORE SIGNING ANYTHING

Did you know there were 4000 real estate agents in Austin 2010 and there are 14,000 today! So let’s get real, that means MOST realtors in Austin don’t have much experience. With this many agents in the business, it’s incredibly important to vet a potential listing agent before signing a listing agreement.

How long have you been a full time agent?
With 10,000 new agents in the business in the last 7 years alone, the odds are that an agent you talk to doesn’t have a ton of experience.Experience isn’t everything, but it’s the best indicator of whether or not an agent can perform. If they’ve been in the business for a long time, there’s a much better chance that REALTOR is competent.**
How many seller transactions did you complete last year?
Just because they have a real estate license, doesn’t mean they work that much.The average agent sells only 6 homes per year. It makes sense that most agents represent around 3 sellers per year. A “top producer” will sell around 20 homes per year, and usually around 1 seller transaction per month. However, the top 1% sell at least 50 homes per year. That volume, combined with years in the business, measures true experience.
Can I see a list of references?
There’s a reason that employers ask any candidate for references: They are a real world measurement of performance.
When you’re choosing a listing agent to sell your home, think of yourself as an employer, and the listing agent as an interviewee. It’s a great idea to read reviews of any agent before even choosing whether or not to interview him/her.
Do you require a long term contract?
A common “nightmare” situation for a seller is a long term contract that an agent will NOT let you out of. If a seller wants to end a listing agreement for any reason, a bad agent will often say, “No, you signed this agreement, and we HAVE to list and sell your home until it ends.” A good agent will allow a seller to end the contract at any time, sometimes with reasonable reimbursement. This shows that the agent is confident in their abilities and will continue to prove their value.
How long does it take you to sell homes & how much do you sell them for?
The average time it takes an agent to sell a property, and the percentage of sold to list price are both objective measurements of an agent’s performance.) A good agent will know his/her statistics and will happily share them. While your pricing strategy will affect your time on market & list to sold percentage, a good agent will explain their averages & how your strategy will affect those numbers.
Do you provide home staging & professional photography?
Everyone starts their real estate search online & chooses which property they’ll view based on how good the pictures are. In order for your property to look great online, it has to be staged well & photographed by a professional. Some agents consider themselves adequate photographers and/or stagers, but this DIY attitude isn’t in your best interest. Make sure the agent you hire will bring in a true professional stager & photographer.
How is the market in my area of town?
Just as the real estate market differs in different cities, it can also be very different in different areas of Austin.
It’s very easy for anyone to know how the overall market is in Austin by reading the news. A good real estate professional will know exactly how the market is performing in your area of town, and specifically in your neighborhood. Make sure any agent you’re interviewing has drilled the numbers down to your neighborhood, and sometimes even further!

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5-Star Service

JC was very helpful during the process of buying my first home. He directed me to lenders that truly had my best interest at heart. I almost made a few bad decisions that JC was there to wave off for me. I truly appreciate JC's responsiveness to ALL of my many questions and his willingness to be a sounding board for my frustrations in the process. I still hear from JC from time to time ensuring that I am happy with my home and letting me know of up and coming business in my area that might affect my property value. I will absolutely be using JC to purchase my next home.

Christopher Penaloza

JC Adams

JC does a great job with attention to detail and ensuring he has answers to your questions as you navigate the process of a home purchase. JC understands the process of the transaction in a home purchase and makes sure the details are covered.

LanceLunsford

JC Adams

Ruth helped us to view many houses and (over months) to make multiple offers in a really, really tough market for buyers. Our low bids were our own fault! Ruth's guesses are always spot on. We finally had a bid accepted last month, and Ruth helped us re-negotiate after significant problems were discovered. Ruth has gone above and beyond for us, giving us far more time during this long search than we could reasonably have expected. She even helped us look for a rental when we'd basically given up. Her advice has always been immensely valuable and brutally honest. She is the most knowledgeable agent I've met on the Central Austin market. She also handled our stress well, and believe me, buying in Austin right now is stressful!

Christopher Dunn

Ruth E. Powers | Buyers

Excellent service and follow through. Very professional!

Jerry Nash

Kristen Balke

I highly recommend Kristen for all real estate needs.

Steve Sanders

Kristen Balke

I had a great experience working with Bramlett Partners Real Estate. Jean Holm was my agent and she & her team made the whole process very simple. She explained everything very well, was knowledgeable, had great advice, and got our home sold. Definitely reccomend!

Danielle Hughes

Jean Holm | Buyers

I worked with Jeremy Vandermause to buy my first home. Jeremy was so patient throughout the process (which I definitely dragged out as I gathered all the facts). He consistently sent me homes I was interested in and was eager to show them off, and on the odd occasions where I found one he hadn't already seen he always made himself available to walk through with me. He was very helpful in those walkthroughs pointing out home features I would have missed, or providing context on neighborhood. As a native Austinite, he definitely knows the history and cultural fabric of the city and each neighborhood. I started with close to zero knowledge of the home-buying process and Jeremy walked me through every step with clarity and patience. So excited about the home I now own! Plus, he's just a legit cool dude. I always really enjoyed our conversations and could tell from the start he was someone worth knowing in Austin

Jeremy K

Jeremy K |

This review is about Joe Gage, their real estate agent. I'm based in Sam Francisco and was looking for investment property in Austin. I tried out three different agents based on recommendations from different sources, including Yelp. Joe clearly stands out. He's very patient and responsive. I'm not familiar with the area at all thus had a lot of questions. His email reply contains detailed information of the neighborhood, including shops nearby, schools and so on. He regularly screen houses and give recommendations once he sees a good fit for investment house offered at reasonable price. He's very knowledgeable about the area. All his recommendations comes with details around why he thinks it's a good investment and sales/rental data in the neighborhood to justify the price he thinks it's worth as well as the expected rental income. I found him to be very methodical and organized. He's not a typical sales person. Maybe this is because he used to be an accountant. Needless to say he earned our trust and we went with him to make the purchase. I was very impressed through the whole process. He's very calm and never pushy. His recommendation on the bid price was right on and he was very good at following up with various parties to push things through. The process went through very smoothly. If anyone is looking for a good real estate agent in Austin, I'd recommend Joe whole-heartedly. His professionalism and calm personality make him a real pleasure to work with.

Jian M.