Real estate transactions are serious business. Each transaction has over 100 unique individual aspects to navigate from start to finish. There are many pitfalls for the novice and the expert alike. When the transaction has to close, it’s better to have a professional by your side to guide you to the finish line. If you are beginning to venture into the sale or purchase of property, how do you choose the right agent for you? How can you choose a GREAT agent? Here are 7 considerations:

1. Are they Licensed? The most obvious place to start is to find someone who is actually licensed to sell real estate. Be warned, however, that licensing is not exactly a high standard and not all licensed real estate agents are created equal. In most states, a 45 hour class is required to sit for the real estate exam. When you compare 600 hours for a nail tech or 1200 hours for a beautician, the 45 hours to sit for the real estate exam seems meager. While the exam is not an easy one, the 45 hour class is the bare minimum to adequately prepare someone to take the exam. You may encounter unlicensed individuals in different contexts in the real estate field. It is better to use an advisor that has actually completed licensing.

2. Do they have a degree in a relevant field? Because there is no prescribed course of study for a career in Real Estate, many agents become licensed without any formal training in contract law, formal training in finance, or any sort of education that is relevant to the skill set required of anyone who will be involved in the complicated negotiations of a real estate transaction. A great agent will have the educational credentials to differentiate themselves from the casual, part-time, agent whose only formal training is the licensing class they took to become licensed. Even veterans in the real estate business without the formal legal or financial training are prone to making novice mistakes that can make the difference between a successful closing and a deal that falls apart.

3. Do they have relevant experience? Concomitant with education, an agent needs to have relevant experience to acquire an arsenal of skills to represent their clients effectively. Choose an agent that has experience in contract law, mortgage finance, property valuation, title work, photography, internet marketing and actual real estate selling experience. To choose a great agent, you have to determine whether the agent has the necessary relevant experience that differentiates them from the average, casual, or part-time agent who “dabbles” in real estate.

4. Does the agent use other agents in marketing your property? There is a better than 50% chance that a property will be sold using an agent that will bring a buyer. This segment of potential customers for your property is sometimes overlooked by agents. Along the same lines, your agent should be prepared to offer incentives to other agents to entice them to show your property. Agents sometimes have many choices and your agent needs to make sure your property stands out from the crowd.

5. Is the Agent responsive? When you are interviewing an agent, ask them when a call comes in to show the property, who will be responding to the call, how long will it take them to respond and what type of training will the person have who answered the call? In our fast paced world, an agent has to be responsive to inquiries about your property. You might even test this out yourself by calling in to inquire about your property or have a friend call in to see the responsiveness of the agent. Typically, if you don’t respond to an inquiry within 15 minutes, your chances of converting that inquiry to a buyer diminishes by more than 50% A part time agent will lose these opportunities. A great agent is responsive always.

6. Does the agent have preemptive marketing strategies? A great agent will have several marketing and tactical strategies that will anticipate and deal with certain issues that may come up in marketing and contract negotiations for your property. An experienced agent should be able to anticipate these issues and have a plan to deal with them so you are prepared if and when the issues arise. This translates into getting more money for your property and ensuring a smooth transaction that ends in a successful closing. A great agent will help you be prepared.

7. Does the agent have a network of reputable providers? In every real estate transaction, there will be other experts that will be assisting in the transaction. These experts include: appraisers, title attorneys, property inspectors, interior designers or stagers, photographers and mortgage lenders. At any point in the process of a transaction, there is a potential for the transaction to fail if any one of these areas are not handled properly. A great agent will align themselves with other professionals who do an excellent job in their field to ensure that your transaction is a stress free as possible.

These are some of the qualities of a great real estate agent. It’s important to make the right decision and have the right professional help you in buying or selling real estate.