How To Find A Good Real Estate Agent In Tampa

Even in a lovely city like Tampa, choosing your perfect home means taking many things into consideration. The area has to be to your liking, a good price is obvious, and the property should be in good condition.

But, how can you know you are getting the best possible option?

The right real estate agent in Tampa can help.

Your agent knows the Bay area market like the back of their hand. They can find you the gem you want in Seminole Heights or a beautiful home tucked away in Wesley Chapel.

No matter what your buying or selling goals are, there are a few rules of thumb to follow when choosing an agent.

Here are the seven steps to hiring your next real estate agent in Tampa.

1. Understand the Basics

Your real estate agent can technically be a broker or realtor as well.

What's the difference?

A real estate agent is someone with a license to sell property. The license takes about 100 hours of coursework and a state exam to acquire.

A broker goes a step further in their work and studies. They are licensed to sell property and have real estate agents work under them.

Realtors, though, are at the top of the food chain.

A realtor belongs to the National Association of Realtors and abides by their Code of Ethics. This code contains 17 articles which hold participating professionals to a higher standard in conducting business.

Narrowing down your search for a real estate agent in Tampa can be a much smoother, trustworthy process if you search for a realtor first.

2. Do Online Research

Speaking of narrowing things down, online tools can be of great help.

Skip the Google search and jump on a trusted industry site. These websites can help you look for professionals based in their area, their number of years of experience, and even the last date they sold a house.

Going online for five minutes can significantly cut your search time in half. It gives you a good place to open the conversation with a few realtors and go from there.

3. Scope Your Neighborhood

If you're more old school, or you want to specifically look at performance in your area, just go for a drive!

Make note of the For Sale signs in the real estate market you want to buy or sell in. Look for which agent's name is most common, as well as who sells the fastest.

Remember, you are looking for quality over quantity. A bunch of For Sale signs don't say much for an agent's name if they can't get a property sold and the sign taken down.

4. Meet Casually

The best way to meet your potential future agent in-person is attending an open house.

An open house is much more casual than setting up a meeting, and it gives you a chance to see the agent in action.

What efforts did they make to stage the home? How are they treating potential buyers? The answers to these questions can say much about their customer service standards and selling methods.

No matter if you are looking to buy or sell your home in Tampa, an open house will show you if a real estate agent's style matches yours. At the end of the day, you need to be able to work together and agree on the buying and selling process.

5. Check Credentials

Once you've got your agent options down to a few different people, it's time to talk credentials.

Reach out to your prospects after attending their open house and set up the real meeting. This is your chance to ask about their overall time buying and selling homes, and how long they have been doing so in Tampa.

An agent with years of experience may not be the best fit if they just moved to the region. Likewise, a fresh realtor can still be a valuable asset if they have grown up in Tampa and know the area's neighborhoods well.

Credentials mean more than a license. It means street knowledge and area awareness in your desired market.

The more an agent can show they have applied the skills needed to get their license, the better you can feel about hiring them.

6. Read Reviews and Referrals

After talking to your group of finalists, cross-check them with their reviews. Reading first-hand accounts from past clients is like being a fly on the wall of the agent's office.

Reviews will tell you everything you need to know from satisfaction expectations to ease of communication and scheduling. This can be the deciding factor between one ideal candidate and another because it puts results behind what they are offering.

Don't hesitate to reach out to your friends and family in the area, either. They could know something valuable about a real estate agent in Tampa your research may not have found.

7. Ask Specifics

Before shaking hands on a contract and getting down to the business of buying or selling, ask away.

Ask about the last home an agent bought or sold. Ask for their expectations from you and share yours for them.

Talk about their schedule and the way they operate.

Do they work in a team or on their own? Are they a full-time real estate agent in Tampa? Or, do they operate in another region or work another job?

If you are looking to meet your real estate goals within a short amount of time, you will likely want an agent who is fully committed to making it happen. This means no other line of work and no upcoming plans to be out of town for an extended time as well.

The more you smooth out these details from the start, the easier the rest of the process will be.

Choose Your Real Estate Agent in Tampa

The last step to starting your real estate journey is making your choice.

After taking the time to check off everything on this list, you can be confident you are hiring someone fit for the job.

Someone like Joe or Garret!

The team at Joe Manausa Real Estate is a committed group of realtors ready to make your dreams a reality. Known across the state for our level of quality service and strong negotiations, we are here to make your buying or selling goals happen.

Contact us today to set up a meeting and get to work!