How to Select a Real Estate Agent

When You're Ready to Hire a Realtor®

In addition to finding a great loan officer to help you get financing for your new home, you'll also want to find a good real estate agent. The benefits for working with a licensed Realtor® include:

They understand the entire process from both the buyer and seller's sides.
They have had training for all of the many disclosures, forms, and contract details that are critical to a lawful and fair purchase.
Experienced agents know when to spot a red flag, either in a home or in a deal.
They have the resources to help you narrow down your search and get notified when new listings become available.
Ideally, they will specialize in negotiation, so that you get your best deal.
Understanding your needs, they can guide you to the right neighborhood, development, school district and more.

How to Find a Realtor® for Your Home Purchase

Many people already know a licensed Realtor® in their city. However, going with someone you know is not always ideal. Consider the area where you wish to purchase. Is it a specific neighborhood, zipcode or city? If you don’t know much about the area where you’re looking, an area specialist may provide you with great insight that could help during your house hunting process.

Here are some tips for hiring a real estate agent:

Make sure they are licensed to sell real estate in your state and county. Licensing can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but regardless, the training and testing that comes with a license should put you in good hands with someone with the knowledge to do a good job for you.
Ask for referrals or references. The natural first step to finding an agent is to ask friends and family members. If they don’t have an appropriate referral, look for someone that is an area specialist. These folks often send postcards on a regular basis and many advertise in the community. We recommend interviewing 2-3 Realtors® to make sure there is synergy between you. Once you find one you like, ask for and contact 3 references.
It’s also a good idea to look for online reviews and/or testimonials. Many times these can be found on Zillow, Facebook, Google reviews, Yelp or the agent’s website.
Because you’re on the buyer’s side a Realtor® who has a track record of helping buyers - especially first time home buyers - could be advantageous.

We’re excited that you are ready to purchase your first home. Let us guide you through the process. Click the button below to provide us with some initial information and we will get back to you quickly.

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Additional articles for First Time Home Buyers:

Househunting Tips

First Time Home Buyer Tips

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"Scott made the process seamless from end to end. My questions were answered with honesty. If he did not have an immediate answer, Scott will research with his organization, and get back with me within the committed time. My out-of-state mortgage refinancing transaction closed within three weeks to my satisfaction. Great job and professional courtesies received from Scott and his team members who interacted with me. Would recommend Scott to anyone without hesitation."

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Right from the start, Jon was personable and intelligent. After the circus that is lending companies, Jon's help and advice was absolutely priceless!

I had been getting completely ambushed by other lending companies fighting to refinance my home at cut throat rates.

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Customer from Clarksville, TN

Ted was a pleasure to work with, he really took his time to explain things and educate us about the process. Never pushed for us to do anything we weren’t comfortable with (as previous lenders tried), I did not start the process initially with him, I really wish I had though, things would’ve been so much more smooth for us. His assistant was also always helpful. I was always able to reach them both when needed via email text and phone. I will definitely call him for any future needs.

Jen from Columbia, MD

very good rate; low fee; save me $2000 at closing with lender credit;

quick settlement in 2-3 weeks;

amazing service; will use again;

hard working (work weekends and quick response overnight)

Xiahe from Herndon, VA

Bin (Lillian) was great. I had my reservations when we began my refi process because her and I did not have an existing relationship, but everything went very smoothly and closed as expected. She was responsive, transparent and flexible in meeting my requirements. She’s knowledgeable and professional

Cole from Redwood City, CA

I found Brian through Zillow. He is the main reason that today I am sitting in my home typing this review. He was the one who referred and introduced me to a great real estate agent who helped me find my current home. Brian helped in closing my home on time in under 10 days after an internet lender put weird conditions for loan approval. Importantly, Brian did not take advantage of my dire situation 10 days before closing. He was able to convince his Manager and was able to closely match the interest rate offered by the internet lender. He was honest, open and always very responsive to my questions. He even was kind enough to speak to the Sellers Agent and ally her fears about closing on time. He literally worked 24/7 to get the my paper work ready for submission to the under writer and as promised helped me close my home on time. I strongly recommend him to anyone on the lookout for a loan officer with very high integrity and ethics.

Chandra from Aldie, VA

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Sean from Arlington, VA

All you need from a lender when you have never met him in person, is for him to inspire trust and be truthful to his word. Jon has been all of that for me and my family during our Mortgage refinancing process. He was always available and was able to answer every concerns or questions we had. He gave us the peace of mind during the process and for that we are very thankful Jon. Job well done

Stephane from Novi, MI

Brian is a hard-working individual and was a pleasure to work with. He was dedicated to working with the bank underwriters directly to help my family finance the home of our dreams at only 3.5% interest. Brian made himself available to guide us every step of the way and answer any questions. He was even able to refer me to an amazing realtor, Zach. We were able to close within a month. I 100% recommend Brian to anyone searching for financing for a new home.

Ashe from Fort Washington, MD

This is my first time refinancing my home since purchasing it last year. Brian made everything easy, answered all my questions no matter what time the day or night, and kept me up to date every step of the way. I highly recommend Brian Callan of WEI Mortgage LLC. Thank you Brian and I look forward to doing business with you again in the future.

Customer from McDonough, GA

My experience with Jonathan was great. Not a lot of lenders are familiar with streamlining a VA loan, he knew what I needed and the service was great. He kept in contact with me throughout the process and we closed the loan in 13 days.

Customer from Ogden, UT

This is the second mortgage we are getting from Brian and WEI Mortgage and his competence is unquestionable - especially guiding you through the intricacies of the mortgage process and his responsiveness to questions and concerns. I will not hesitate to use him again and recommend him in the strongest possible terms.

Malu, Washington D.C.

Brian worked with my fiancé and I to get us the best loan for our first home purchase. Day or night by email, phone, or text: Brian responded to all of our questions so quickly! He walked us through anything that we didn’t fully understand and he always checked in with updates to make sure that we had a clear picture of everything needed prior to and on closing day. Brian referred us to a great realtor and he has worked with several of my family members to refinance or buy a home. Brian is extremely knowledgeable and reliable! We highly highly recommend him!

Melissa from Frederick, MD

Jon contacted me to refinance my home and gave me a very good deal. He was very attentive and checked in often to make sure everything went smoothly, even later in the day. He was on top of everything, and I would highly recommend him to any home buyer or anyone looking to refinance.

Elise from Franklin, MA

When You're Ready to Hire a Realtor®

How to Find a Realtor® for Your Home Purchase

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