Finding a home in an area as popular and large as Bryan-College Station, TX can be difficult, tiring and disheartening. That’s why it’s best to seek out the help of a real estate agent who’s familiar with the area, so you can find the home you’ve been searching for in half the time. Shaving off time searching for your new home can give you more time actually living in your new home. This is a win-win situation.
However, finding a realtor in Bryan-College Station, Texas who meets all your needs can be almost as difficult as finding a home.
(Are they experienced? Are they painting themselves in a better light than they should? Do they spend more time in their office than out showing homes? Is that an important detail? Have they successfully helped clients in the past? How can you tell?)
That’s why we’ve put together a quick list of tips that can help you choose the best realtor in Bryan-College Station:
1. Check out online reviews for realtors in Bryan-College Station, Texas
These days, online reviews are pretty reliable. We’re not necessarily talking about reviews on a real estate agent’s website – there’s no way to fact-check those – but the different review websites out there have gotten pretty good at weeding out fake reviews.
Read through and see what people are saying about the real estate agent you’re considering. What’s the average rating? Anything lower than 3.5 isn’t worth your time. When you’re reading through reviews, make sure that you’re reading both good and bad reviews. Get a feel for the person reviewing the real estate agent. Were the client’s qualms with the agent or the situation? This is a clear and avoidable distinction that’s important to make early.
You don’t want to be caught in a situation you’re not happy with.
2. Set up an interview with your realtor in Bryan-College Station, Texas
Ask your prospective real estate agent questions that are similar to ones you’ve been asked on a job interview. Instead of asking about how they work with others, ask how they’ve worked with their clients. Ask them to describe a good client and then a bad client. The bad client question, in particular, will give you a great view into how this real estate agent really feels about working with people, and how far they’re willing to go to get you your dream home.
Ask them how many clients they have right now and how they’re managing to work with all of them. If they’re working with too many people at once, then they might not be a good fit for you. It’s up to you to decide how many is too many. After interviewing a few real estate agents, you might find that someone who is working with a medium number of clients would be best to work with. They’re not over-worked but they’re also not undesirable.
3. Set up interviews with your realtor’s old clients in Bryan-College Station, Texas
During your interview with your prospective real estate agent, ask if you can reach out to some of their old clients. Even if you’ve checked out the reviews, it would be better to get a dialogue going with a real-life human being who has been in your position.
It’s a red flag if they say “no,” but it can be somewhat disconcerting if they offer of their old client’s contact information without checking with them first.
What you want is for them to say that they’ll reach out to a client and ask if it’s OK for them to give out their contact information. Set up a phone call with the old client if you can and ask them what it was like to work with this real estate agent.
Now, keep in mind that this is a client that your prospective real estate agent readily provided you. In other words, they probably knew this client wouldn’t say anything bad about them. Take the good comments this client gives you with a grain of salt. However, anything bad they have to tell you could be a warning sign. Take heed.
4. Let your friends and co-workers refer you to their realtor in Bryan-College Station, Texas
Better than reading reviews – and even better than talking to a real-life stranger – is talking to someone you know who can give you a reference for a real estate agent they’ve worked with in the past.
It’s important to note that your friend or co-worker’s experience with this real estate agent isn’t the end-all, be-all. It’s still important to meet with their real estate agent and interview them. You also still want to make sure that their schedule aligns with yours.
In short: What worked for your co-worker or friend isn’t necessarily what’s going to work for you. You have different interests in home styles, amenities and locations, so you need to find a real estate agent who can help you find what you’re looking for.
Even with all that said, a direct referral by someone you know is your best bet at finding an experienced real estate agent who can help you.
5. Make sure you and your realtor are on the same schedule
It’s possible that the real estate agent you’re checking out only works part-time. In other words, they’ve got a main gig that takes precedence in their life, and they may not be available when you need them. It’s also possible that your real estate agent does this as their full-time job, but they’re not willing to work weekends for personal reasons.
Maybe you’re available to look at houses during the week, so this might not be a problem for you. Either way, it’s important to evaluate your own schedule and check to make sure your real estate agent’s schedule coincides with yours.
Pro tip: Ask your prospective real estate agent if they have any planned vacations or scheduled time-off coming up. Maybe they’re available now, but if they’re going to be gone for two weeks this month, then maybe they’re not the right real estate agent for you.
6. Find a realtor in Bryan-College Station, Texas who has networking skills
When you choose a real estate agent, you want to make sure that you find someone who not only knows the area in which you’re hoping to move, but you should also pick one who has connections.
In other words, you want to find a real estate agent who knows people who can get you a good deal on a loan, be able to connect you with a certified and affordable home inspector, a real estate attorney, home insurance companies with reasonable rates and contractors who can help with any repairs that need to be done after you’ve moved into your new home.
What’s more is that your real estate agent should be someone who knows the neighborhood well enough that they can tell you about city codes and neighborhood regulations that are relevant to you. For example, if you own a boat, it’s important to know whether or not it’s legal for you to park it in your front driveway. Your real estate agent should have your best interests in mind.
Now’s your chance to choose the best realtor in Bryan-College Station, Texas
If you’re having a hard time finding a good real estate agent in Bryan-College Station after following all these tips, it might be because you’re looking in the wrong places (or your friends and co-workers haven’t referred you to anyone good).
The representatives at Brazos County Realty are trained professionals who are intimately familiar with the Bryan-College Station area. My team and I are here to help you with all your home-buying needs. Tell us exactly what you’re looking for in your dream home, and we’ll find a home that meets as many of your needs and wants as possible.
You can either reach out to myself, Myke Leatham, or one of my team members, Joe Hobson or Rachel Clark, for assistance. You can call Brazos County Realty at 979-693-0201 or email us at homes@AggieRealEstate.com for answers to any questions you might have or to schedule an appointment with one of us.