By Julia Thomas, eHow Contributor
A good Realtor can help you so much with a sale or purchase that you will be more than happy to pay the commission. Working with the wrong Realtor can cost you thousands of dollars and could put you in a home that does not satisfy your wants and needs. Look for these signs of a bad Realtor.
Not a Member of Realtor Organization
A real estate agent is not a Realtor unless he or she has joined the National Association of Realtors. Membership in this and other realty organizations shows a willingness to be held to a strict code of ethics.
Lack of Education
No U.S. state requires a degree to get a real estate license, but continuing education is vital. According to Mortgage News Daily, “The states differ on every aspect of the licensing: how much education is required to obtain a license, the type and depth of the examinations, and whether education courses are required once an agent becomes licensed.” Go online to find the requirements listed for your state. If your real estate agent does not have more than the minimum education, he is probably either new or not trying to advance his knowledge. If he does not have the minimum education, he is practicing illegally.
Lack of Communication
Buying or selling a home is a big deal to you, and it should be important to your Realtor as well. Any Realtor that does not have time to answer or return your calls promptly does not have time to represent you in buying or selling property. Broderick Perkins of Realty Times explains that if the Realtor has an assistant, it will help you get the attention you need.
Ignores Your Needs
Even a good Realtor makes a commission based on how much you spend. Technically, it is in her advantage to convince you to buy the most expensive property you can afford. In some cases, real estate agents have steered clients to properties they could not really afford. If your Realtor does not seem to be guiding you to properties within your budget, find someone else.
Not Current
Watch the way your Realtor goes about finding or selling houses. He should be comfortable with the computer programs used to do his job, and he should know how to help you use social media and online listings to search for a home. If you are selling, he should help you get your property posted prominently on the Internet. Realty Times states that the Internet is involved in virtually every sale in one way or another these days.
Lack of Success
Ask the Realtor if she has sold homes in your area. Get specifics. Realty Times suggests that you check the agent’s MLS reports to see what she has sold. If the numbers indicate a poor rate of success, the real estate agent probably is not the best for you. Take the state of the real estate market into account, but compare agents to find those who are doing better than others.
Not Full-Time
A good Realtor is committed to the job enough to make it his main means of support. If he mainly works another job and just does real estate on the side, he cannot give you the attention you deserve. Realty Times says that a full-time agent often can resolve problems for you when they pop up.
