Housing Services Resources

Buying a Home...1, 2, 3: Choosing a Real Estate Agent

Choosing a Real Estate Agent

Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases most people will ever make. Selecting a real estate agent that has qualifications, experience, and who you are comfortable working with is important for a successful purchase. Remember, as a buyer, working with a real estate agent costs you nothing.

Start compiling a list of potential real estate agents by asking friends and relatives for names of real estate agents that they have worked with and would recommend.

Contact local real estate associations for lists of real estate professionals who specialize in the neighborhood where you are looking to buy.

In addition:

• You can go to the National Association’s website at www.realtor.com/findreal to do a customized search for Realtors.
• You can search via the local association, Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors, website http://pmar.org.
  
• You can also write down telephone numbers printed on "For Sale" signs posted in the neighborhood in which you want to buy.

To select the real estate agent who is right for you, begin by identifying several and interviewing at least two or three before making the final decision.

During your interview with each real estate agent on your list, here are some things to consider when asking questions:

• Currently licensed in Oregon and member of a real estate board?
• Do you belong to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and/or a reliable online home buyer’s search service? (Multiple Listing Services are cooperative information networks that provide descriptions of most of the houses for sale in a particular region).
• Full-time real estate professional?
• Credentials and background?
• Length of experience in community?
• Names and contact information of recent clients?

The real estate agent you select should be someone who makes you feel comfortable, listens to you, shows genuine interest, knows the current real estate market and has a good track record in the purchase of properties you are interested in.

If you happen to be working with a Seller’s Agent and not a Buyer’s Agent, never disclose to them the top dollar you are willing to pay for any property. Only tell them things that you would tell the seller directly because they are representing the seller and have the seller’s best interest in mind.

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