Searching for Your Next Home? - Why You Should Choose Your Agent First

 Let's face it, we all use them, including real estate agents, the mega real estate portals. I won't name names but you can most likely think of two or three right off the top of your head. These sites are user friendly and packed with convenient features and listings from all across the country and beyond. However there's a bit of a dark side to these too, such as tracking codes that follow you around the internet to feed you ads, and the ultimate goal....to collect your personal information. Location, price point, home preferences and more. All of these are valuable data points about you that someone is willing to pay for.

 You see my friends, when you visit these sites, you are not the customer, you are the commodity! The model is not so much to freely serve you up real estate listings as it is to serve YOU up, for a fee, to various real estate professionals. As the saying goes, nothing is free and in this case the cost is you. Now I honestly don't say all this to bash the big portals, I think they are a good resource, most of us (real estate professionals) have created profiles on many of these sites as well because the reality is that's where the people are. I'm just saying this to make sure you are aware of what's happening, and if you're okay with that, by all means, go for it. If you're concerned about your personal information being farmed out, then you have another option, your local real estate agent.

 This is just one very good reason why you should choose your agent FIRST when you're ready to do more than just casual browsing. A local agent is going to have a firm grasp of the local markets that you're interested in and amenities that may be important to you. Once you choose your agent, they are going to set you up on a personalized search, based on key criteria that matters to you, that will send you new property listings that fit that criteria as they hit the market. The main point being that your personal information is being protected and not shared without your approval. On average, roughly 40% of home buyers (51% among first time buyers) found their agent through personal connections. What better way to find someone you can trust than through someone you already trust?

 So search away! When you're ready to really get serious, look for agent referrals from people you know, interview them and choose one that you feel like you click with. 

Happy House Hunting!