Your Real Estate Agent Services questions, answered
Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on HomeGuide.
What does a real estate agent do?
Real estate agents help clients buy, sell, and rent residential and commercial properties. Homebuyers and sellers should get a realtor or listing agent to help find and visit properties, make offers, determine a competitive listing price, negotiate, and handle all the paperwork.
Represent clients looking to buy, sell, and rent properties.
Advise clients on local prices, market conditions, mortgages, and related information.
Generate and compare currently listed and recently sold properties to determine a competitive listing price or offer.
Market properties through open houses, online websites, and advertisements.
Show prospective properties to buyers or renters.
Present purchase offers to sellers or helps buyers submit an offer.
Mediate negotiations between buyer and seller.
Ensure all contract terms are met.
Prepare and submit documents, such as loyalty contracts, purchase agreements, and deeds.
How much does a real estate agent cost near me?
The standard, fair commission for a real estate agent is 6% of the home's sale price. The commission is negotiable and is typically split between the seller’s agent and buyer’s agent at 3% each. Some real estate firms offer selling or listing services at a flat rate of $3,000 to $6,000.
Additional costs apply for home staging, photography, videography, marketing, inspections, appraisals, and closing costs.
What's the difference between a real estate broker and an agent?
Real estate brokers are licensed to own their firm and help clients buy and sell real estate.
Real estate sales agents must work under a licensed broker. Brokers work with sales agents on a contract basis and charge a commission for each property they sell.
What should you look for in a real estate agent?
To find the best real estate office, look for and do the following:
Contact and compare at least three presentations from top realtor agents.
Ask for recommendations from family, friends, and neighbors.
Read reviews and check out their previous work on HomeGuide and Google.
Select realtors with extensive knowledge and experience of the local market.
Avoid part-time real estate agents.
Avoid agents that don't typically work within your price range.
Look for agents that have recent and successful local transactions.
Look for agents that communicate with you regularly and keep you up to date.
After asking questions, hire the best real estate agents near you.
What questions should you ask a real estate agent?
When hiring a real estate firm, ask them the following questions:
How long have you been in business? Are you full-time?
How many homes have you represented in this area?
What types of homes do you usually represent?
What price range do you typically work within?
What price would you recommend listing my home at, and why?
Are there any potential complications you foresee with this home?
How many other homes or buyers are you currently working with?
Can you provide testimonials and references from past customers?
Does your firm help with photography, walk-through video, or staging?
How long are houses taking to sell in the neighborhood?
How much do you charge, and how long does your contract last?
Is your commission negotiable?
What services are included in the cost?
How do you plan to market my house?
What do I need to provide to get started?
Reviews for Lawrence real estate agents
Recent success stories from people in the Lawrence area.
Jake R.
David helped me purchase my new home in the Summer of 2020, which was a wild time to shop. Extremely competitive market with low inventory and fast turnover. I was relocating to the area from several States away and started working with David remotely. He was flexible and adaptable to ensure I see as many properties as possible in a short amount of time. He did a lot of foot work looking at inventory before I was in the area which was appreciated. He provided plenty of communication which is a critical element during such a competitive market. My purchase was also a VA purchase which had a few more hoops to jump though, which seemed like a breeze to David. He also helped me find a more competitive lender, which was able to find me a lower rate and faster closing. Highly recommend A+++.
David Hansen - Realtor Extraordinaire
Sujay B.
I had the pleasure of working with Kristina as a first-time homebuyer, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. From the very beginning, she was thorough, extremely knowledgeable, and incredibly resourceful. She took the time to explain how the home buying market works, which was incredibly helpful since I had very little insight going in.
Kristina worked relentlessly to help us shortlist homes, and more importantly, she quickly understood what we were looking for and tailored the search accordingly. Her ability to identify properties that matched our preferences saved us a lot of time and effort.
When it came time to make an offer, Kristina negotiated very effectively, drafted a strong and well-thought-out offer, and ensured it covered multiple important aspects that we hadn’t even considered. Her attention to detail and strategic approach gave us a strong edge in a competitive market.
Overall, Kristina made the entire process smooth and stress-free. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy a home, especially first-time buyers who need a trusted guide through the process.
Coldwell Banker Realty - Andover
Janelle G.
Joe does an amazing job! He is professional and he exceeded my expectations. He did all the electrical work and installed a generator at our home and we couldn’t of been happier. I would highly recommend him for any of your electrical needs!
New Space Real Estate (Seacoast) Emerald Realty Brokerage (Florida) Marasca Electric & Air Conditioning, LLC (Seacaost)
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