How to Find a Real Estate Agent as a First-Time Homebuyer

Buying a home is one of the largest transactions a person makes in their life. The process of doing so can be complicated – especially the first time.

That’s where the guidance of an experienced real estate agent comes in. Most are local housing market experts who can provide helpful neighborhood information, translate industry lingo, use effective negotiation skills, and suggest the best professionals for adjacent services like mortgage and moving. The sooner you bring them on board in your homebuying journey, the better.

First-time buyers: If you’re ready to start the process of purchasing a home, here’s how to find an agent to work with.

Talk to your neighbors

Word-of-mouth referrals are a powerful way to find professionals with a track record of success. It’s worth asking local family members, friends and neighbors who they worked with in their real estate transactions.

A recommendation is especially powerful if you know someone who just bought a home for the first time. According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2023 Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers report, there was a 6% annual increase in first-time buyers throughout the U.S over the prior year.

Read reviews online

Online reviews can be a great way to see what others have to say about any given service provider.

When finding a real estate agent, you’ll likely be looking for a professional you trust the most. With more agents entering the profession in recent years (meaning more options of who to work with), qualities like trustworthiness have become an increasingly important factor to today’s homebuyers, according to the latest RE/MAX Future of Real Estate Report.

Search for agents in a digital database

Head over to remax.com to find RE/MAX agents in your area that can tailor the homebuying experience to your unique needs. The website enables you to filter agents by factors like spoken languages and real estate specialties.

From there, you can click into each agent’s profile to learn more about their experience, understand their skillset, and find their contact information.

Do a meet and greet

During the process of buying a home, you’ll likely be spending a lot of time with the agent you choose to work with. So, make sure you’re a compatible match.

Meet them in person (or virtually, if you’re coming in from far away) to determine your chemistry – and assess if they can help with your specific property needs.

A few questions worth asking: • Are they a full-time real estate agent? • How long have they worked in this particular market? • What is the breadth of their experience helping people buy homes? • What is their preferred communication style? And, how often can you expect to hear from them?

Ready to get started on the homebuying process? Contact a local RE/MAX agent today. And, check out the latest RE/MAX National Housing Report for a deep-dive on current market conditions in metro areas across the U.S.

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