5 Questions to Ask your Long Beach Real Estate Agent

Finding a Long Beach real estate agent by doing online research is a great way to find someone who can help you with your goals. People who sell their homes usually interview 2-3 listing agents, however most people looking to purchase a property interview just 1. Interviewing 1 may be ok, if you find the right one, but we thought we would share some questions you might want to ask to ensure you have the right Long Beach Realtor working hard for you.

1. How many people do you help each year to purchase property? - This is better than asking how long someone has been in the business because many agents are in the business a long time but don't have the experience of helping that many people. The average agent helps 6 people a year.
2. Do you specialize in buyers? - Most agents help both buyers and sellers. Some agents specialize in just helping buyers and that can mean they are more up to date on their inventory and they can be more aggressive on offers because they aren't looking for sellers.
3. How long have you operated in the area that we are looking? - Closely related to question 1, but a bit different. Many agents help people across many different cities. If you want an expert in Long Beach, make sure the majority of their business is in Long Beach so you can get specialized attention.
4. Do you do a buyer's consultation? - This is a great question if you are on the phone. If an agent just asks you the number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, and price then you might want to move-on. Experienced agents will take the time to meet with you and understand as much as they can about your goals before taking you to see a single property.
5. How will I be updated on properties that meet my needs? - Here you want to look for a process that the agent has defined. Do they call you weekly? Do they customize a website for you that is updated constantly?

We hope these help you to choose the right Long Beach real estate agent for you. Besides the questions here, find someone that you like to work with, it should be a fun process!