Return to Bucks County Buyers Guide

• Well, you could just hire me, because no one takes representing you to the best of their ability more seriously than me. However...

• If you don't know someone personally, start by asking friends, family, neighbors or co-workers for referrals of Bucks County real estate agents. Whatever you do, DO NOT feel obligated to use your neighbor's son who just got licensed, or that nice teacher who lives down the street and "does" real estate part-time.

• Make sure that the people you interview are full-time, experienced, work for a respected company and do business in your area and can prove it!Don't even consider using someone who doesn't take this business seriously enough to do it full time!

• The person you hire will assist you in acquiring your largest single asset — ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS...
  • How long have they been in the business?
  • How many homes did they sell last year? I'm not saying you need to work with the mega-producers — oftentimes they're too busy to service you themselves and you end up working with their associates. But I'd also be wary of the person that does 2 or 3 deals a year.
  • What areas do they focus on? I'd be hard pressed to say I "specialize" in an entire county or territory — I mean really, how well can you truly know a 20 square mile area, as some agents claim?
  • What are their strenghts? Weaknesses?
  • How will they communicate with you?  How often?
  • Are they more or less techo-savvy than you; what are your expectations in that regard?
  • How do they react to your questions? If they get irritated at this stage of the game, how comfortable are you going to feel when it's time to write and negotiate a contract?

• Ask to review their Buyer Agency contract. Is it for a specific period of time? Are there any restrictions on canceling it? Is there any instance where you could be responsible for their commission?

• Ask for references, and call them!! Find out what past clients have to say about their experience.

• Finally...trust your instincts! The road from deciding to purchase a Doylestown home, Newtown home or Bucks County real estate and actually completing the sale is a long and sometimes stressful one. Whether you're purchasing a $100,000 property or a $1,000,000 property is irrelevant — it still represents a ton of money to you. Trusting your agent to represent your best interests is critical — if you're not "feeling the love", find another agent!