A classic case of putting the cart before the horse.

It’s an easy mistake to make.

With so much information available online, you might just wonder why you need a Realtor. You might be thinking, I will know a good deal when I see one. You might be thinking, Real Estate people are going to try to sell me something I don’t want to buy. You might even think that the only reason you need a Realtor is to give you the price of the home and let you inside to look. You will probably end up working with the agent that has the listing.

The problem with this is that you shopped for a house, and ended up with an agent. The listing agent has a fiduciary responsibility to represent the seller’s interests first. Why not pick a Realtor that has a history of providing excellent service?

Make a conscious choice and pick a Realtor before you pick a home to buy. Don’t be afraid to shop for the Realtor that possesses the qualities you expect. Honesty, integrity, inventory knowledge, Real Estate contract knowledge, the ability to listen and communicate effectively, patience, hard work, and fast response to your questions and concerns. It won’t take long to know if you are with one of these agents. It’s pretty easy to see when you are not.

Don’t make the mistake of driving around Big Bear hoping that a house that fits your needs and price will magically appear in front of you.

An experienced agent that knows the market can direct you to the homes that fit your criteria and eliminate the need to look at the homes that don’t. I can tell you why I didn’t show you a house as quickly as why I did show you another. I really think about the time we spend looking at homes. I listen to your wants and needs and then put my past visits to the areas and properties to work.

Unless your looking for a “For Sale by Owner” FSBO, this service costs you nothing.

When a seller lists their home with a broker, they agree to pay commission. This cost does not decrease because the buyer doesn’t use an agent. The seller will more than likely still pay the full commission, just to the broker that listed the house. A good Realtor will save you money, find the best home, and protect your interests during the transaction. Why not have a Realtor represent you and your interests in the transaction?

A good out of the area Realtor will not be the best agent to use in Big Bear.

I won’t tell you that you can’t use your sister or neighbor that is a trusted friend to represent you in Big Bear for the purchase of your second home, but I can tell you that you won’t get the best service. I often see buyer’s asking for information about a house in Big Bear that they are interested in. They will ask me to open the house up and tell them about it, but then they let me know that they will be using their agent from off the hill.

If your agent doesn’t live and work the Big Bear Real Estate market, how can they provide you with proper representation?

Can they tell you the recent sales in the area? Can they tell you the areas that are in a flood zone? Will they be able to describe the procedure for winterizing your second home? Do they know the difference between a stop and waste valve and a water meter? Does your out of the area agent know the utility carriers for the home? Can the agent drive you through the neighborhood without getting lost?

Get a local Real Estate professional and then go look for a home, it will save you time and money.

Steve Hirschler