Online Presence Offers Buyers Access to Potential Agents

Buying a home will be the single largest purchase a person will make in their lifetime. Whether a first-time or experienced buyer, it is important to ensure you have the right partnership with someone who knows the market and understands your needs. When asking how to choose a real estate agent for buying property, a great resource has become the Internet and social media. The market in the Greater Toronto Area is highly competitive, especially now in cities like Brampton and Mississauga. With prices in Toronto continuing to climb, buyers are looking to these suburban cities for more affordable housing, which are still within commuting distance to the GTA. In this dynamic market, it may seem daunting to think about where to start, especially if you’re considering moving to a new community! Using social media, a buyer will have access to information that will help them feel secure purchasing a home.

Using Social Media to Connect Agent to Buyer

When asking yourself, how do I choose a real estate agent for buying property – think about how accessible information is to us through online research, reviews and connections.  A brokerage like JN Asensio who is savvy with online presence and social media is a good place to start. With social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, good REALTORS^®will have up-to-date information, photos and links available to potential clients for their review. When looking to buy, many questions can be answered through tools such as online blogs. This allows buyers to get to know a REALTOR^®virtually and gives them exposure to the type of experience they have. For example, an agent who grew up in and continues to live in the Brampton area will have the ability to discuss the community’s benefits and amenities at length. By searching online, a potential client will be able to read tips from the REALTOR^®on best options for buying real estate in their specific market. This connects the client to the REALTOR^®and makes it easier to resonate with them on a personal level when it’s time to meet to discuss options.

Further more, clients can "follow” REALTORS^®through the Twitter platform, getting news feed updates on new properties in real time on different mobile devices. For those who want to see photographs that appeal to the house hunt aesthetically, Instagram offers a quick snap shot of the property and entices the buyer to click through to learn more.

Consider Additional Tips for Success

We can’t always trust what we see or read online, so having access to testimonials or reviews will help us decide how to choose a real estate agent for buying property. Many of these social media platforms will have such reviews, as will search engines like Google. Company websites will also have reviews available for research.

Some other tips buyers can consider when choosing a real estate agent for buying:

•        Look at the agent’s listing online, through resources such as Multiple Listing Service (MLS^®).
•        Ask the agent for a list of what they have sold recently and look into how long the house was on the market for.
•        Review the agent’s licensing and credentials.
•        Look at peer awards the agent has won. Nothing indicates success better than a vote of confidence from fellow agents in the industry.

A good real estate agent will know the market, know the community and put the client’s needs first. They understand this is a significant milestone and it will shape the lives of their clients for years to come. Choosing a real estate agent for buying a property is more than making a decision – it’s choosing a partnership to ensure you find and buy your dream home!