Many economists are predicting that the severe winter of 2014 has created pent-up demand for new home sales and some expect that there will be a significant influx of prospective new homeowners entering the market over the next few weeks and months.
Whether buying or selling your home, finding the right real estate professional in this type of market is as important as ever. Instinctively, you want to feel that your agent clearly understands your needs. But, don’t rely solely on your gut. It is also important to do some research, keeping in mind the following tips from the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) ®.
- Find a REALTOR®. Not every real estate professional is a REALTOR®. This is a designation that identifies the agent as a member of NAR® and someone who subscribes to NAR’s Code of Ethics.
- Check an agent’s license. Check with your state’s governing agency to ensure that any agent you plan on doing business with has a current and active real estate license in good standing.
- Make sure the agent belongs to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). A cooperative information network for REALTORS®, an MLS provides descriptions of most houses for sale in a particular region. Using a REALTOR® who belongs to the MLS will give you access to the greatest number of homes.
- Check an agent’s designations. You can also accomplish this by checking with your state’s governing agency.
- Is real estate their full-time career? This may or may not be an issue for you, but it is information that you should have available.
All agents at the Leslie Kopp Group have a professional REALTOR® designation and are experts in the beach real estate market. Give our office a call when you are ready to list or purchase: 302.541.5207.