10 mistakes buyers make | Part 1: Choosing the right help

2. Real estate agent selection mistakes

By Rona Fischman
September 12, 2008

Hiring the wrong kind of agent

Avoid agents who lack the skills to provide you sufficient support and service. Also don't hire an agent who disregards your views and thus fails to work as a partner. Some buyer agents work for companies that only serve buyers; others work alongside traditional listing agents. Make sure you're confident in the agent you hire.

Figure out the skills you'll need in these phases:

• Finding the home
• Evaluating the home
• Figuring out a price to offer
• Making an offer and negotiating a purchase price
• Home inspection
• Finishing the paperwork and preparing for closing

Failure to shop around

Once you know the tasks you want the agent to manage, interview a few agents. Look for experience (or good supervision), local knowledge, reputation for cooperation, a history of good results that can be verified by references, and trustworthiness.

Agent mismatch

Sometimes the agent's motivation doesn't match yours. Find out what excites an agent about her job: what is her agent's personal pay-off, beyond making a living? Some agents love to find a perfect house. Some love to negotiate a great deal. Some love pretty houses, some fixer-uppers. Some are just going through the motions and can't answer that question.