Two WORST questions to ask a Realtor | Bay Area Real Estate Tip #23

Every Tuesday, I go into detail a question I frequently get asked. This week, I'm going to show you the 2 worst questions to ask a Realtor.

So, you are thinking about buying or selling a property, but you’re a nervous wreck. Don’t worry it’s totally NORMAL. One of the ways to ease your anxiety is to make sure you hire the right Realtor. Our job is to point you in the right direction and act in your best interest.

Buyers and sellers today don’t need to use an agent, but with the right one you can make sure you make a wise investment. Knowing the RIGHT questions to ask a Realtor is the first step to finding the right agent for you. Before I tell you what questions to ask a Realtor, let me give you two you should not ask.

#1: What company do you work for?

This is definitely the worst question to ask a Realtor because it doesn’t matter. Prior to the evolution of the MLS and most of the online real estate search sites, the company a Realtor worked for used to matter because they may have controlled listings. In today’s market nothing could be further from the truth. Real estate companies have the business model of attracting talent to their business. It’s the agent who will make the difference in making a wise financial decision, not the company on their business card. Just because an agent is associated with the biggest company in town does not make them any more qualified than the agent at a very small office. Some of the best Realtors work for the smallest companies. If your Realtor constantly talks about how big their office is and how many sales their office had, they most likely lack their own personal experience and have to justify it with leveraging their companies statistics. This is why I never mention anything about a team number or a company stat because it isn’t the production of that individual.

#2: How long you been in the business?

Just because a Realtor has been in the business 25 years does not make them any more qualified to handle your transaction. What if they only do 4 deals a year? I would have major doubts about them because why hasn’t that Realtor continued to have an upward trajectory? How can they be stuck for so long? Would you rather work with someone who has been in the business for 4 years that has done over 100 transactions or the “experienced” agent who has done 4 deals a year for 25 years straight? You might also want to consider that the most important skill to hire in a listing agent is their marketing skills. The real estate industry has gone online and therefore the skills a good agent had 20 years ago are totally different from what they are today. Is your agent Tech savvy? Do they know where the market is going and are they leveraging those changes? Chances are a younger, more online marketing savvy agent, would have a better success in exposing your home to thousands of potential buyers through in depth marketing strategies as opposed to the older agent who has no idea how to use social media. Think about who is buying in most places today. I would focus more on the number of deals they have done on their own along with their public reviews than how long they have been in the business.

I hope this video helped you understand what’s truly important. Thanks for watching another episode of my Tuesday Tip series.

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📞 (408) 547-4590

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My Background: Born and raised in the Bay Area, I spent 11 years as Technology Sales Manager before becoming a Realtor. Having personally invested and done renovations through house flips in the Bay Area, I wanted to help busy professionals in the Bay Area tech industry find their dream home by leveraging tech, data and local insights. Our team specializes in creating trusted frameworks of buying, selling, and investing in the Bay Area. In 2022, we are thrilled to share that we have helped 80 clients in the Bay Area with their moves, which positions our team as the Top 1% groups in the country. Looking forward to helping you into your next home and save/earn you more money!

Spencer Hsu, MBA, Realtor

Spencer@SpencerHsu.com

408-547-4590

EXP Realty DRE #02077253

https://www.homesbyspencerhsu.com/

#BayAreaRealEstate