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Why Should I Work With Only One Real Estate Agent?

November 19, 2007

Question from the audience: Why should I work with only one real estate agent?

Answering the Question with a Question: Do you want to go on 100 blind dates or do you want to develop one relationship that works? 

I say shop around until you find someone that you click with: where you believe in the agent’s abilities, can discuss your ideas with them comfortably, and generally find your time together productive, if not also enjoyable.  Be up front that you are shopping.  As in any profession, there are good real estate agents, there are bad agents, and there are average agents.  And there’s a lot of them.  You can’t swing a stick in this city without hitting at least 2 real estate agents.  I think you should find yourself a good one.

And then once you find that person, stop shopping.  If you commit to the right person, it should be a productive and rewarding experience for all involved.  It takes time to really get to know a Buyer’s needs and the why behind all those ideas.  Sometimes, we may need to see how you react to a different type of house, or experiment showing you different sizes or styles.  If you keep switching agents, you have to re-do that part over and over again. 

I think if you tell 5 agents the same criteria, and see 5 houses with each agent, you’re unlikely to find the right home with any of them.  But if you let one agent show you 8 or 10 houses, you’ll find the right one a lot faster, because the agent knows more about you, how you react in homes, and understands why you want the things you do and which houses can fulfill those needs.

So I say shop.  Speed-date, if you will.  And then commit to the best.

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