Things To Consider Before Hiring A Realtor

So you’re finally taking the first step to achieving your dream home. But what really is the first step? You have the resources but what do you do now? Before you get too excited and waste lots of money because of that excitement, calm down first and do a little research.

Of course, you need to find some contacts or experts when it comes to home building. They’re the ones who will lead you to your dream home. But be sure they are to be trusted; trusted enough that you feel comfortable sharing them your concerns, aspirations, and budget/finances.

Here are a few things you should look into in order to know if a realtor is trustworthy and reliable:

• Know how long he/she has been in the business. Although this is not the sole factor of checking his/her credibility, it is good to consider this to really let you know about his/her background.
• Ask how many he/she sold in the past to give you an idea of how good he/she is.
• Ask if he/she is a member of any official organizations/associations of realtors like REBAP, CREBA, PAREB, etc. If he/she is legit and a pro, he/she would aim to associate himself/herself to any of these.
• Google! Try googling his/her name or the company he/she works for. It can help you see if he/she has good or bad reviews from past clients.
• Ask if he/she works weekends. He/she should answer yes since most open houses, home-construction inspections, and client meetings occur during the weekends.
• Ask about the area/location/community of your house to be built. He/she should know the ins and outs of the place.
• Research some real estate jargon and try to test him/her by innocently asking what those meant. Tell him/her you heard just it from somewhere. Of course, he/she would answer/explain with ease what those meant if he/she truly knows what he/she is doing.

Focus on these things first before getting ahead of yourself. Once you have successfully found a reliable realtor, next is constantly checking if your new house is being built the way you wanted or is strictly following the blueprint. Be vocal if you see something that looks wrong. It’s your property. It’s your money. It’s your home. Make sure you are not going to be unhappy in the end. Also, be sure that you get what you paid for. The materials being used should be the ones you agreed upon.

Here in the Philippines, there are many realtors you can hook up with. Check the official organizations or associations and view the master list of their members. Usually, members’ contact information would be available, too. Or if you want to rely on property companies, look up Profriends, Vista Land, etc. Some of them also offer residential condos.

If you have experiences with any of these companies or maybe a really good realtor you would like to vouch for, feel free to comment below. J (I, too, am interested to know about your opinions, rants, and raves.)