Selecting A Realtor To Represent You In The Phoenix Real Estate Transaction
A good real estate agent is vital to your team of people who will help you purchase property in Phoenix. The person you pick will, if done correctly, be worth the extra due diligence you do to select them. 
If you have not had a good Realtor you will not even know what you're missing, just like in any profession do your due diligence: put as much effort into selecting your Realtor as you would any professional to advise you. Below are several important factors to consider when choosing your next Realtor.
- Experience: what is the experience of the Realtor. I'm sure you know from your own profession and work that mastery comes with time and practice, but also innovation and the ability to be malleable with the market. Experience is important, but so is the ability to change with the current needs, so just because a Realtor has been working in the business 20 years does not mean they are the best to handle a short sale for instance. Look for a balanced combination in a Realtor and one who has experience aligned with your goals and needs.
- It's about you not the agent: make sure that the agent listens to your needs and matches it with actions. They should not be showing you stuff that's not in your criteria for instance. They should not be taking other calls while in meetings with you. Are they taking your need seriously, did they listen first before speaking their opinions?
- Communication and responsiveness: Is the agent prompt in getting back to you: e-mails or calls. Are they on time for appointments? Do they communicate with you about what's going on? This business is about communication and those skills need to be honed in and operating well. It is communication and responsiveness that get deals done.
- Trust your intuition: - but be aware that recent studies have shown institution in certain cases related to modern life, unreliable. If you know how to interpret your intuition then listen to it. You usually know if it's right or wrong, it's just a matter of acting on those signals.
- Get referral from the agent, ones you can call: an agent that is referred to you can have an advantage because someone else has already done some vetting, but don't stop there. They need to be more then good agents, they need to be good at what you need them to be good at. If you can call some of their past clients, do so. Usually an agent will provide you with a couple to a few names and e-mails to past clients if you ask them.
- Market knowledge and know-how: how well do they know the market? A simple question, but the answers need to be researched and based on solid information, because the wrong information can be expensive. If you're an investor do they know that market, if you're a second home buyer do they know that segment. What's going on in the market: buyer's market or seller's market and which one is it in the segment your interested in. You need to know this and you need the agent to know this even more. A good way to check is to read the agent's blog(s) if she/he has one. Do they know what the data means, and specifically what it means for you.
- Fees: what are the agent's fees both as a buyer's broker and seller's broker. Although the fees for the buyer broker services in Arizona come from the seller's funds, if you're buying something inexpensive, under $100,000 you may need to add to the fees because the income from an inexpensive homes will usually not compensate the agent enough to make him/her a profit and possibly limiting the motivation. If you're selling how negotiable is the agent on fees? You can certainly ask, but keep in mind that if the agent can't defend their fee structure well then how well will they defend the price of your home? As much of a cliche as this sounds like, a Realtor who is able to defend their fee and support it with actual value will more then likely provide a better return on the additional fee then someone who is quick to discount.
- Professionalism: how does the agent present themselves. Do they take real estate as a business. Are they clean, prepared and organized.
- Participant owner: there is nothing like hands on experience. Lot's of Realtors do real estate, but don't own it. It does not mean they are not good, but nothing beats the real thing, being the one buying, selling, investing and dealing with all the nuances from all sides. A Realtor who is an owner of real estate, an investor and especially one who has participated in many real estate transactions with various techniques, and one who has managed properties and had to deal with tenants will have insight that will increase his/her value to you.
- Are they full time: I don't know how anyone can be a good agent and not be a full time one. It's takes a lot of effort and expense to run a successful real estate brokerage business and a part time agent will not have the income and time to have the data and support you need. You will be better off hiring someone who makes this a profession rather then a hobby.
Each of the considerations above alone are not as important as a combination of them. You can't have some without the other. Selecting an agent is not an easy task, but one worthy of the additional time you spend on it and never feel bad if you need to change agents, but if you find a good one, please be loyal.
