How to choose the right real estate agency

Recommendation points

• What is the advantage of contacting a realtor
• What should be a real estate agency
• What you need to pay attention to
• Let’s sum up

The Russian market of real estate services is currently developing quite rapidly. Now more and more buyers and tenants of housing prefer to contact professionals, rather than deal with these issues on their own.

Otto Dix. The Businessman Max Roesberg, Dresden. 1922

They are not always able to understand all the legal intricacies of the process, but entrust the main and most voluminous work to find options and execute a transaction to professionals in the real estate market.

In this article we will look at how to choose the right realtor and real estate agency so as not to regret your decision in the future..

What is the advantage of contacting a realtor

There are a lot of subtleties and pitfalls in the field of real estate; as a rule, only a professional agent or lawyer specializing in this area can understand them quickly and clearly..

A simple buyer, already at the stage of viewing an apartment, may encounter some problems: the description of an apartment does not always correspond to reality. Few will tell about violent neighbors or an elevator that has not been working for months. Legal issues often arise that discourage buyers.

By contacting an agency, you save a lot of time, which is especially important for working people.

Realtors will carry out the entire range of work to find a suitable option, collect the necessary documents and legal registration of the transaction with the apartment. Therefore, in such an important issue, the help of professionals will be just the way.

The fact is that special brokers work with the sellers’ apartments located in the bases of real estate agencies, who represent the interests of buyers. These are the professionals who help the client to buy an apartment that meets his requirements on the most favorable terms. The same broker will also find a suitable buyer when contacting the seller’s agency. Therefore, in any case, whether you are selling or buying an apartment, contacting a realtor, you will receive not only professional advice, but also high-quality assistance in the implementation of the real estate transaction.

What should be a real estate agency

All systems: agents and lawyers must work in a single “bundle”, there must be a team whose work is aimed at solving the main task – minimizing the client’s risks in the process of buying and selling a property. It is very important for the client to be fully confident in the legality of the transaction being made – the company must provide legal registration of all documents, check the legal purity of the object and conclude the necessary contracts.

A professional agency provides a very wide range of services in the real estate market: from the usual purchase or lease of an apartment to the execution of a transaction using mortgage lending. Large agencies have established relationships with the respective banks, which guarantees the client to receive the appropriate loan.

What you need to pay attention to

Choosing a realtor is not too different from choosing any other specialist who provides you with certain services. Often people turn to a real estate agency on the recommendation or advice of relatives and friends. But in this case, the saying “trust but verify” works well..

Having selected several real estate agencies by advertising or recommendations of friends, do not hesitate to ask all your questions before signing an agreement.

We advise you to read the documents of the agency, and check all the necessary certificates and licenses. The statutory documents must be open and provided to all clients upon request. The status of the company reflects well the availability of certificates and diplomas of the completion of specialized courses by employees, their participation in seminars on real estate.

It is important to get as much information as possible about the agency. In addition to advertising, it is important to pay attention to what is said and written about the company. Read reviews, look for information about claims and claims against the company.

Be sure to find out how long the organization has been in the market. Relevant knowledge, experience and good reputation of the agency are the result of many years of work and a guarantee of reliability for the client.

At present, the experience and qualifications of a realtor are also very important because the licensing of real estate activities in Russia has now been canceled, and this type of service can be provided by almost anyone who wishes, even without the proper qualifications in this area. Despite the fact that the presence of a license is not a prerequisite for the operation of the agency, the date of its issue (if any) can be a confirmation of its age.

The seriousness of the company is characterized by the following parameters: the number of employees, the presence of a network of offices, as well as the appearance of the offices and their equipment.

It is important to evaluate the staff – the agents who will work directly with you. The politeness of employees, the ability to listen and understand the desires of each client, as well as the willingness to help sort out any issue is the key to further successful cooperation.

Beware of very low commissions and low price of the offered apartment: scammers may be behind this. As a rule, new agencies set low commissions, so they try to attract new clients..

Also remember that before signing a contract with an agency, it would not hurt to make a copy of it and consult with an experienced lawyer. The contract must clearly indicate the rights, obligations and responsibilities of all parties, its validity period, the procedure for resolving disputes and conflict situations, as well as the terms of termination of the contract and the full details of the parties. The contract is signed by the director of the agency or a person authorized by the director.

Let’s sum up

Remember that who will deal with your deal primarily depends on how quickly and for what price you can buy (sell) your apartment. Therefore, the choice of a realtor must be approached responsibly.

We also add that a good realtor should be well versed in the current situation on the housing market, see all the possible disadvantages and advantages of an apartment, what will allow it to be sold at a higher price, and what will significantly underestimate its value. A competent specialist must promptly and easily explain to the seller or buyer how the optimal price for a particular property is formed.

Of course, it is very difficult to find universal criteria for choosing a real estate agency that would satisfy all clients and in any situation. We hope that our advice will help you decide and still make the right choice. Following our recommendations, you can easily find a suitable agency if you want to buy, sell, become a rent or exchange an apartment.