Choosing the right Realtor may not be Intuitive

Do Realtors get Tunnel Vision about the community where they live? I see it all the time.

A Realtor who lives in a community and claims to be "the community expert" may in fact be the last person that you want representing you to purchase a home in that community. And depending on the person, you may not want them to represent you to sell your home in that community either. Seem counter intuitive to you? Read on.

Have you ever had a friend recommend that you move to their neighborhood? This is a related situation. "I live here. It will be right for you, because it was right for us. And because I live here, I already know everything that you will need to know." Likewise, when a Realtor is showing you their own community, it is hard for them to separate themselves from their history and love for the community to give you an unbiased perspective. They may believe that they are not biased, but I would say that this is virtually impossible.

Look for this statement. If a Realtor uses these words early-on in your conversation "I have lived in the community for the past 20 or so years," this should be your first Red Flag. In fact, I would argue that this may be the first thing that you want to screen for in selecting your Realtor--that they don't live in the community where you know you want to move. I believe it is big mistake to hire a Buyer's Agent/Realtor who lives in the community where you think you want to live. Why? Two words: Tunnel Vision. 

So, what kind of Realtor should you search out to represent you? One with experience that is measured in transactions per year, not measured in years that they have held a license. Think about that. Tenure in Real Estate years does not equal current market experience. Personally, I don't really care how long you have been paying your Real Estate fees in Austin. I want to know how much experience you have had this year writing contracts, negotiating deals, running specific comps, talking to title, and working with lenders to make deals happen this year. And I don't really want to know how many classes you took this year either. If you sold 3 or 4 houses in your community this year, I would rather have a Realtor who sold 15 inexpensive houses in Manor this year represent me. And as a Realtor who works with other Realtors every day, I would rather work on a deal with someone who has had lots of little deals going on this year, than someone who is trying to sell their second of third listing this year in their own community. The other Realtor's contracts may not have been worth nearly as much as a home in your community, but their contract experience far out weighs the self proclaimed "community expert" and they are typically in a much better position to help buyer or seller than the community expert who just focuses on one community.

Next, I would recommend that you look for a Realtor that Buyers and Sellers are talking about online. We all talk about ourselves. But you should find a Realtor that past clients have taken the time to make recommendations and say good things about their experience and helpfulness. No buyer will ever say in a review "My agent has been in business for a long time." How helpful is that? And who cares? A Realtor's ability to help you is not related to the community where they live or how long they have held a Real Estate license. In this business, years in business does not equal one's experience or abilities, and a good Realtor is probably not just focused on their one area. If they can not tell you what is happening in "Austin Real Estate" and specific communities, they may be suffering from Realtor Tunnel Vision. 

Find a Realtor that knows Austin--more than just one school district, one community or one small part of the Austin area. "Hire" that Realtor. Stick with them. Let them help you find your Austin area home.

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