How to pick a real estate agent for 1st home purchase?

[Joshua Cetnar]

Hi everyone,

I'm 21 years old and I'm looking to purchase my first home. I want to work with a real estate agent, but I don't really know where to start or how to choose. Should I just talk to people or post on Facebook and see who friends recommend? I'm afraid that I'm going to be recommended a bunch of relatives or family friends. Is that still a good starting place?

Any responses/personal stories (good and bad) would be helpful!

Thanks!

[Nate Burgher]

Hey @Joshua Cetnar, I second what @Jacob A. is suggesting. Talk to people you trust and get referrals. There are a lot of agents out there that are absolutely amazing at what they do and have your best interests in mind, but there are some out there that do the bare minimum. The bare minimum agents won't be getting the best referrals from your friends and family, but the ones that truly care about their reputation and their clients interests will be highly spoken of by your friends and family. If you get a bunch of those solid referrals, then narrow it down to someone who has experience in not only your current real estate goals, but your future investment goals as well. I also feel like it's important to find someone you can relate to one way or another, someone you might end up hanging out with in the future and can chat real estate with. My agent for the past three years has been invaluable to me in that remark, as we've built a solid friendship and now I have access to any and all of the people he knows, which is everyone in the county.