Choose a Great Tampa Real Estate Agent: Buying or selling a home in Tampa, Florida isn’t the same as other cities across the country. Tampa is known as a popular retirement destination and includes many buyers seeking retirement communities. In addition, there are several other types of buyers and sellers found throughout the city.
Regardless of your reason for buying or selling, you need to hire a great Tampa real estate agent. Your agent will help to protect you throughout the process, along with ensuring you get the best deal possible. Here are seven easy tips you can use to help you find the right real estate agent in Tampa.
Just because your cousin is a real estate agent doesn’t mean they are the right choice for you. Buying or selling a home will be one of the largest financial transactions of your life. Choosing a friend or relative to handle this just because they recently received their real estate license isn’t always smart.
If you’re searching for a retirement home in Tampa, you want an agent specializing in these types of homes. There are several great Tampa real estate agents, but not all will specialize in the type of home or property you seek. Make sure you choose an agent based on what you need and want, not just based on how good they are at their job.
Always, always, always ask for references before you hire any Tampa real estate agent. Once you have the references, check them and find out how past clients feel about the agent now. Just because the agent found a buyer a new Tampa home or sold a home for someone, doesn’t mean they were thrilled with the process.
Before you start shopping for a home in Tampa, you want to get pre-approved for a mortgage. During this process, don’t be afraid to ask your lender for a recommendation on a good, local real estate agent. They will likely have a good idea of who to recommend since they probably work closely with many agents in the area.
You wouldn’t let just anybody perform your lifesaving operation, would you? Just as you would want the best surgeon specializing in exactly what you need, you should have the best real estate agent specializing in exactly what you need.
If you have the time to check out the Tampa neighborhood you’d like to live in, watch the signs in front of the homes for sale. How quickly do they go up, change to “pending” or “sold” status and who’s the agent responsible?
You can learn quite a bit about an agent by watching the signs. If they are selling homes fast, this could be a good sign.
Make sure you interview multiple agents in Tampa before you hire one. Look for complete honesty, as an honest real estate agent will always be a better choice than one that stretches the truth to get a deal done. You can also check the online reviews to ensure you hire a good agent.
Hiring a good Tampa real estate agent will help to ensure you find the right home to buy or your home gets sold fast. Use the above times to ensure you get the right agent before you go into your next real estate transaction.