Expert Tips To Help You Find A Great Real Estate Agent

Most people only speak with one real estate agent, even though a lot of experts say you should interview at least a few. So, how do you pick a good one, and how do you select prospective agents to interview in the first place?tips on finding a great real estate agent

Let’s start with the selection process, after all there are about 9,500 real estate agents in Orlando to choose from. Here are three ways to narrow the field.

First, personal referrals are a tried and true method of selecting a prospective real estate agent. Most of us probably know someone that has purchased or sold real estate in the last six months or so. Ask your friends, family or co-workers who they used and what they thought of them. Second, if you are new to the area or cannot get a good personal referral try review sites like Yelp or Angie’s List. Third, try Googling your neighborhood or town for real estate such as “Orlando real estate” to see who pops up. Odds are, an agent that shows up in these results is tech savvy and it likely means more experienced.

Now that you have a few agents to interview what should you look for in a good agent? Ask them questions about their qualifications:

“How long have you been in real estate?”
“How many homes do you sell each year?”

What is a good answer to these questions is hard to say. Let’s face it someone who has only been in real estate for a year may be a much better fit for you than someone who has been around for ages. If a more direct connection with your agent is what you are looking for, you may not want a big team that sells 50 or 100 properties a year. If you like the team approach, then you may not want to speak with an agent that works alone. I do think if an agent is selling fewer than six properties a year they may not be very “in touch” with the market. Here in Orlando, a huge percentage of the real estate agents sold fewer than two properties last year. Ask about the market, and see what they can tell you about what is going on in your area.

If you are selling ask them to put together a comparative market analysis (CMA) and check out the properties they are comparing to your home. Try not to list with an agent just because they gave you the highest value for your property. Buying or selling, you want an agent that asks you questions too. If they don’t know what your situation is, how can they know how to best help you? Keep this in mind too. Once you select a real estate agent, you may be working closely with them for several weeks or even several months. Ask yourself if this is someone you want to spend that much time working with.

The Absolute Best Neighborhoods in Orlando, FL

Depending on where you are from, Orlando may not rank as the largest city or the highest populated.  The geographical area does not cover that much but houses around 43,000 people with some excellent neighborhoods.  The urban part of downtown may not have a particular subdivision that could be deemed number one in my book but there are some excellent enclaves to look into if you want to relocate.

If you are looking for a very diverse area with all different kinds of houses, people and things to do I would push you towards College Park.  The name may be deceiving, although the town is just a few miles from Rollins College and the huge College Park orlando Fl - move to Orlandocampus of UCF, this neighborhood has it’s name from many streets named after famous colleges like Princeton, Harvard and Yale.   The most notable could be the excellent schools and the surrounding areas.  The housing has the most unique aspect due to the original homes being built in the early 1900’s while the location and continuous growth of the area has seen an influx of very large and expensive homes (in excess of $1 million and up) and very highly priced condos.  Although the newer places can be seen as slightly unnecessarily costly, there is still housing deals that can be found with the older smaller homes some that are a perfect candidate for renovations.

Another excellent neighborhood that is both charming and walk-able is Orlando’s one and only Thornton Park.  Thornton Park is much known for its location near the Orlando’s beautiful LakeThornton Park - Orlando Florida - Move to Orlando Eola Park along with countless restaurants and bars.  The area is known for being very safe and friendly, just outside of the business district of Orlando, which makes Thornton Park a great location of employment and weekend activities.  The neighborhood is home of a very developed area with it’s brick-lined streets and large oak trees that provide shade for a relaxing afternoon walk.

No matter what you are relocating for or what kind of lifestyle you fancy, Orlando’s 18 neighborhoods will have something you could find perfect for you.

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