Quick Search

Featured Properties

MLS #:  3108544 Price: $749,000
Stowe, Vermont
3  Bedrooms,  4 Baths,  3.22  Acres

More Stowe, VT Properties

Social Media

Choosing a Real Estate Agent

make available to you What a REALTOR® Can Do for You What you should expect from a professional REALTOR®:

1. In order to sell Real Estate, a Real Estate Agent must be licensed in the state in which they work.
   
2. A license is issued based on specific standards of education, examinations and experience.
   
3. Most licensed Agents become members of their local Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS®. This is the world’s largest professional trade association.
   
4. “REALTOR®” is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a Real Estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics, which usually reaches beyond state law.
   
5. A REALTOR® is bound by legal obligations: 
   - To put the client’s interests above anyone else’s
   - To keep the client's information confidential
   - To obey the client's lawful instructions
   - To report to the client anything that would be useful
   - To account to the client for any money involved.
   
6. When you begin working with a REALTOR®, do not hesitate to ask for a clear
     explanation of the current state rules and code of ethics regulating his or her
     practice.
   
7. Most REALTORS® share information on the homes they are marketing through a Multiple Listing Service (MLS). 8. You gain access to the greatest number of homes by working with a REALTOR® who belongs to an MLS.

What is the Difference Between a Seller’s Agent and a Buyer’s Agent?

1. The Seller’s Agent has a duty of confidentiality toward the Seller and will act in favor of the Seller.
   
2. The Buyer’s Agent has a duty of confidentiality toward the Buyer and will act in favor of the Buyer.

How to Evaluate an Agent:

1. First and foremost, ask the Agent if he or she is a REALTOR®. As you have learned already, this will ensure he/she is bound by regulations and a Code of Ethics that protect your interests.
   
2. Find out whether your Agent has as an Active Real Estate License in good standing. This information is available via your state’s governing agency.
   
3. Does the Agent belong to the Multiple Listing Service?
   
4. What Real Estate designations does the Agent hold?
   
5. Is Real Estate this Agent’s full-time profession? How much experience does he/she have?
   
6. Make sure you understand which party the Agent represents: The Buyer or the Seller? This should be one of the first things you discuss so you clearly understand the Agent’s responsibilities toward you as the Buyer if you are searching for a home or as the Seller if you plan to place your home on the market.
   
7. Also critical to understand from the start: How will the Agent accomplish your goals in exchange for your commitment to his/her services? What steps will he/she take? What information will he/she make available to you? How much communication can you expect?

Also read: " What a Realtor® Can Do for You", in the Resources section of our website.