Will any agent give you automated updates of the MLS?

[Kyle Swarts]

Or do you have to have a personal relationship before asking for this sort of thing? I want to take the leg work off of the agent, because I'm fairly new and have no idea exactly what I'm looking for. I dont want to waste their time by having them send me random deals. I'd rather do the work myself and then contact them about a property that interest me.

[Kristel Daugherty]

@Kyle Swarts - Yes. Call a few agents to find one that you like, and then ask for a few minutes of their time. Ideally, sit down at their office or for coffee so you can really get in sync and develop a mutual understanding. Be clear about where you are in your search, and how you'd like help. The right agent will be able to setup that search, and may have additional tips or areas to recommend based on the conversation that you have. Every MLS runs a little differently, and the options vary for communicating new listings. In my market I can setup alerts through the MLS that I screen for my clients or I can set them up with an app that helps them setup their own search criteria (and shares with me the properties that they are most interested in so we can easily be on the same page).

Good luck!