A strong real estate professional will have your back throughout your home buying journey, helping you find the right home at a fair price.But how do you find the right one for you, with all of the ads featuring smiling agents, there are clearly many certified real estate professional ready and willing to accept your business. And while they may all be qualified, it’s important to choose someone well-suited to address your specific home-buying needs and preferences.As you work out your numbers and zero in on neighbourhoods, here are key things to look for when choosing to work with a real estate professional.Discover seven key things to look to help you find the right agent. So how do you choose the right one?

1. Knowledge of the Neighbourhood - good schools, demographics, community features, parks, latest construction by-laws and more
2. Listening Skills - listen to your needs, wants, preferences, budget and motivation for buying
3. Attention to Detail -  Checks Contracts , looking for deficiencies hidden by clever staging
4. Big-Picture Thinking -  problem solving with your end goal in mind
5. A Strong Network - partners with other agents, mortgage specialists, lawyers, home inspectors, etc.
6. Negotiating Skills - firm, fair and knowledgeable, with the skills and patience
7. Trustworthiness -  acts in your best interest

So How Do You Actually Find a Real Estate Professional?Ask for referrals from people you trust. Talk to your mortgage specialist, friends or colleagues who may have just moved.Search on REALTOR.ca. You can search by city, property specialty, and get a listing of registered agents who meet your criteria.Interview. Once you have short list of realtors, set up a meeting with each of them and ask questions about their expertise, experience, approach and network. You can get a great sense of an agent’s style and competence after a chat over coffee.A home is likely the biggest purchase you will ever make in your life. Working with a trusted real estate professional is an important step toward making a smart home buying decision.

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