I vividly remember the challenge of finding a realtor. Everyone knows that there are thousands of realtors out there, but how do you find a good one? The Internet suggests to “get referrals from your network”, or check Realtor.ca, or turn to websites of real estate companies, such as Re/Max, or even check the street benches for ads. Each of these options has a downside, though. It is doubtful that you will see very negative feedback on a realtor’s personal website, or highly-partisan websites like Re/Max or Century21. Unless you have as many friends as there are users on the Internet, I would suggest looking outside of your personal network when looking for a realtor.
I chose to use Rate-My-Agent.com for the same reason I like to use Google reviews – it is unbiased, transparent, and realtors cannot in any way affect their reviews or ratings. There are other similar on-line platforms that I tried to use. They are similar, but not quite. One alternative popular system will select a realtor for you based on the data you enter. You know how they recommend interviewing at least 3 different realtors before you hire one? How can I do that if they just connect me with the one who they think is the best for me (or maybe paid extra to be selected first)? With Rate-My-Agent.com everything is transparent, and you are in charge. The site has an option to select a realtor for you, but you can select the top 3 in your area if this is your choice. It worked well for me. I will use it again if I need to, and I will recommend Rate-My-Agent.com to a friend.
As I explained to the young lady, I selected a realtor from your top rated list for my area and contacted
her directly, and we have started a process.
I appreciate your website, it made a challenging job much less fraught, as a first-timer. I think I will get along well with the person I selected, but if it doesn’t work out I’ll be in touch.
It was important to me to get more than one referral so that I could find the right fit for me. By using Rate-My-Agent.com, I was able to see top performers in my area, get feedback from others who had used them and then connect directly with them before making my decision.
I would absolutely recommend the site to others – but I would have no hesitation in recommending my realtor either.
In a separate previous real estate transaction, I was referred to an agent but it wasn’t a great experience. The agent seemed to lack local knowledge, negotiation skills and just didn’t seem invested. With this purchase and using Rate-My-Agent.com, I was connected to a top agent, with great expertise, who was clearly invested in the sale of our home and purchase of a new home. From our first interactions it was clear he knew marketing and he understood real estate. That expertise was present throughout the whole process. Rate-My-Agent.com clearly is doing their due diligence in how they rate their agents and it shows.