There are certain questions you should ask when evaluating a potential agent:
- Is the agent a Realtor®? (if he or she is a Bella Casa real estate agent, then YES!)
- Does the agent have an active real estate license in good standing? To find this information, you can check with the Oregon Association of Realtor®.
- Does the agent belong to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and/or a reliable online home buyer’s search service? Multiple Listing Services are cooperative information networks of REALTORS® that provide descriptions of most of the houses for sale in a particular region.
- Is real estate their full-time career?
- What real estate designations does the agent hold?
- In exchange for your commitment, how will the agent help you accomplish your goals? Show you homes that meet your requirements and provide you with a list of the properties he or she is showing you?
Test-drive a prospective real estate agent:
Ask to be taken out to see four or five properties in a day and see the broker in action. Are you comfortable? Does he present himself professionally? Is she helpful and knowledgeable? Does she listen to what you say and understand what you want? Does he continue to keep you informed and send value-added information for your quest?
Communicate your intentions:
When you are comfortable, communicate your intention to work solely with your broker until closing. At that point you will be placed on the Priority Service List. When our Realtors® are able to confidently place you on the Priority Service List, then they are willing to turn down other work and reserve that premium level of service for you. Your loyalty allows us to guarantee our service.
Still not a committing person? Of course, we hope that if we serve you well that you will reward our efforts with payment for services. That can only happen if we write the offer for you, represent you in a sale, and close it to your satisfaction. If you ask us to write the offer for you, you are automatically placed on our Priority Service List.
Our guarantee insures you will not be locked into a relationship that does not serve your interests before ours. If we fall short of your expectations, please tell us so we can correct the oversight. If desired, we will provide you with another professional to serve you. If that does not satisfy you, then we will not hold you to any expectation of loyalty.
