ow to choose a realtor: An overview
It’s smart to vet agents online before setting up your initial interviews. Here’s how to screen agents fast and easy.
1. Read reviews from past clients
Online reviews can help you identify bad real estate agents pretty fast. Search for past client reviews on sites like Zillow, Trulia, and Google.
Agents with few or no reviews is a red flag, as it shows the agent is either brand-new, unproven, or lacking an online presence.
It’s normal for agents to have at least a few poor reviews from disgruntled customers, but a pattern of negative feedback is more concerning.
Here are some common negative comments to watch out for:
- The client felt pressured to sign a listing agreement or buyer’s agency agreement.
- The agent rushed a buyer to put in an offer on a house.
- The agent took too long to sell a house, or pushed the client to take a low offer.
- A lack of effort or hustle from the agent.
- The agent was unresponsive or slow to respond to the client’s calls and texts.
- The agent was unsuccessful in contract negotiations.
Note: Agent matching services like Clever do this work for you, weeding through poorly reviewed agents and matching you up with the best ones in your market.
