The role of your Realtor or real estate agent basically boils down to seven things:

• Education
• Analysis
• Guide
• Coordination
• Negotiations
• Detail Checking
• Problem Solver

There is a poster that lists about three hundred items involved in the sale of real estate. If you read it, you see things are being stretched a bit for effect, but that does not diminish the fact that an ordinary real estate transaction is an involved, complex and often complicated affair.

Tracey is a contracts fanatic. She has a background in bookkeeping, served as an assistant comptroller for a national builder, and then development sales manager for a national new home builder. She has crossed a bunch of T’s and dotted a lot of I’s.

I have seen her as the listing agent or the buyer’s agent have to handle both sides of the transaction because of incompetence, ignorance or lack of experience on the part of the other agent. I remember one deal last year where the agent on the buy side was also handling the mortgage. This person had their real estate broker’s license and in effect wanted to commit real estate fraud – not because he was a crook, but because he was ignorant of of the law.

When choosing a Realtor or real estate agent be sure to do your due diligence. Many Realtors and real estate agents come from backgrounds with no formal business training or skills. There are still many part-time agents in the business that divide their time between two or more jobs.

Find an agent with the skills, knowledge, experience and time that knows how to focus on you and your needs.

Related Article:

The 10 mistakes home sellers make 

Real Estate Fraud Averted