Choosing The Many Real Estate Agents Available Online

By Author: Keith Johnson
Total Articles: 3764
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There are thousands of real estate companies online that you can pick from when it comes to finding your new townhome. So how does one find the right company to fill their requirements? In this article, we wish to show the items you need to search for when trying to determine which agent is going to be appropriate for you...

Big Franchises Or Local Companies?

The first thing you're going to have to do is determine whether you wish to use one of the national chains of real estate companies, or use a smaller, locally owned company. Both have advantages and disadvantages, so it is up to you to determine which will suit your requirements the greatest.

Taking a look first at some of the larger real estate companies, the biggest benefit is the sheer number of vacation homes they address in each and every calendar month. This gives them the advantage of a much larger assortment of vacation homes for you to select from, as well as the fact that they will typically have more knowledge in negotiating the best price for you. However, this knowledge can also be a disadvantage, as they may request a heavier percentage ...
... than small, brokers.

As for the small local companies - while they may not have the highest numbers when it comes to on hand listings - as a general rule these small companies are more familiar with their local neighborhoods, often know the people whose vacation homes they are trying to sell in person, and typically have more time to spend on making sure that you find precisely what you are searching for. In addition, these privately owned real estate companies usually take a small percentage on the vacation homes they lease - meaning fewer out of pocket expenses for you at closing time.

In your search for the right real estate company to work with, there are numerous questions you need to ask before signing any sort of paperwork. The answers you receive should aid you to make the conclusion much easier than if you were to go into the process blind. They are, in no particular order:

Do you require an up-front payment for helping me find a townhome? - The response to this question should always be "no" unless you are warranted in writing that no commission will be made from your new townhome rent.
What is your percentage rate? - Most great real estate companies will reveal what they will make off of a sale at your request. If they decline, look for a company that has no problem letting you know what their cut is. Knowing the percentage rate ahead of time will reduce the chance of you being let down when it comes to buying your new townhome.

Ask these two questions of any real estate company you are thinking of working with to determine that they are working for you, and not just for the commissions they will receive.