Whether you're buying or selling a home, asking your real estate agent the right questions is a must if you want to get the best deal.
Angie Hicks of Angie's List explains, "Buying a house is one of the biggest investments consumers make so getting the expertise of a real estate agent can be extremely helpful especially if you are a first time buyer."
Angie's List asked highly rated real estate agents which questions home sellers and home buyers should be asking themselves... And their agent.
Tony Markus is a Real Estate Agent. His advice: "First and foremost, the homeowner should start with the end in mind. So, if they are thinking they want to buy a house that they are going to be in for three years, five years, 10 years of something else, they need to start with that goal in mind - work their way backwards so then they can figure out what the best property is for them."
Number One: How are you going to price my home?
Number Two: What is your marketing plan for my house?
Hicks adds, "When researching real estate agents you obviously want to check their experience. And when it comes to real estate it's all about location. So you want to know that they are an expert in your neighborhood that they understand the market in your neighborhood and that they have great experience selling in that area so they can bring the most to the table."
And Number Three: Is my house ready to sell? If not, are there any cosmetic changes I can make to up the property's value?
Markus stresses, "A prospective seller really should sit down with an agent, go over recent sales data for their area, make sure that agent is comfortable working in that geographic area."
