I spoke with some clients the other day. We were talking on my front porch, just relaxing and enjoying happy hour. They are a young couple from New Orleans, and they have been visiting the Asheville area for many years. When they decided to look at real estate, they called me for some insight into the vacation rental market. We were talking about the things to look for that make a successful vacation rental, and then they began talking about their agent, who they had found through a friend. Their experience had been less than satisfactory, because the agent didn’t really search for properties. Instead, the husband and wife searched for properties and the agent took them for showings. “We are so disappointed,” they said. “It’s like the only thing this agent really does is go around and open doors for us. We are doing all the work.” I introduced them to an agent we know in the area, someone we have worked with in the past many times with great success. Luckily their agent wised up and came through with some great properties, and so far they haven’t used the agent we recommended. But their story is so similar to many clients I have worked with in the past. Agents often don’t work out, for a variety of reasons. But the main reason is because people get a referral from a friend, and trust to luck. Or they choose an agent based solely on that agent’s marketing or their placement on one of the big real estate search sites. Then when that agent doesn’t work out, they have to find someone else. This means starting over, and often results in missing opportunities.

So what is the better solution? Do some research, take the time to interview potential agents, and weed out ones that aren’t a good fit. This takes some time, but the results can be dramatic. It can mean the difference between finding a great home or missing out. Or getting the best price selling your current house. By taking the time to interview agents before making a decision, you can avoid the pain of starting over, or worse, settling for a mediocre or even bad deal. If you don’t know where to start, we are here to help. Read our blog for tips on how to find an agent, or let us do it for you. Our curated agent searches are free. We get to know you first, and take the time to understand your situation and your goals. We have the experience and know how to search for the best agent and ask the right questions to make sure we match you to someone you can trust to do the job.