With any service or product, it’s a good idea to shop around before making a commitment. It’s particularly important to find a qualified, knowledgeable REALTOR® who can help you sell your home quickly or find the perfect home in your price range.
Most REALTORs® prefer to work under an exclusivity agreement, which means they are the only REALTOR® you are working with to handle either buying or selling your home. The agreements are normally for a set period, often two to six months, and they are designed to ensure the REALTOR® is paid for the work they do for you.
Working with more than one REALTOR® at a time isn’t usually a good idea, even if you haven’t signed an exclusivity agreement. Since REALTORs® work on commission and get paid only when they buy or sell a home, a REALTOR® may not be motivated to work hard for you if you’re using more than one.
While working with one REALTOR® is good practice, it doesn’t mean you have to use the same REALTOR® to buy and sell a home at the same time. Many REALTORs® specialize in either buying or selling, so they represent only one half of the deal. REALTORs® also tend to specialize in certain communities, and you want to make sure you have one who knows the community you are either buying or selling in. In these instances it’s usually better for you to work with two REALTORs®, one on each side of the sale.
Unless you have signed a contract, you are free to talk with as many agents as you want. But tell them you are doing this up front. It may spur them to work harder for you. Just remember that the best REALTORs® are often busy and may not agree to this arrangement.
