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I want to buy a house in Houston. How can I find a good real estate agent?

I am a first time buyer I need a real estate agent, how would I know if the agent is good? there are so many on the internet. Does it matter if the agent belongs to well know companies like REMAX?

Public Comments

1. First off, finding a realtor is kind of like finding a shrink. You have to find one who you feel comfortable with and who is trustworthy. For that reason, you should talk to as many as possible instead of trusting the first one you meet. One way to do this is to look for houses in your price range in good neighborhoods. Get in contact with the real estate agents who are selling those. Tell them what you like about the house in question and ask them if they will help you find other houses that have those same characteristics. Find out which agents are cooperative and which of those you like, and keep working with them. Obviously, the "for sale by owner" guys won't help you find other houses. And, obviously, the larger companies like REMAX and Red Carpet are generally more trustworthy than "Nifty Ned's Real Estate." Still, you should find out about an agent's creds (how long they have been working, their specialty, continuing education, certifications, awards, etc.) and even Google for complaints about them. Usually the good agents with large companies will be quite open about their credentials. Good luck.
2. The name of the company that the Realtor works for is not important. Whats important is that your Realtor listens to you and helps you find exactly what you want. A bad Realtor will try to make you buy something different than what you want, just so he can make a greater commission. But before you even look for a Realtor make sure you know the amount that you can qualify for, so you wont waste the realtor's time or your time looking at homes out of you price range. You can get pre-qualified by simply contacting a mortgage company and answer a few questions. I now a very good company that is nationwide and they can pre qualify you in a matter of minutes over the phone or on their website www.worldclassfinancialgroup.com and it's free. After you get pre qualified, they will fax you a pre-qualify letter so you can take to your Realtor. Some Realtors won't work for you unless you have such letter. Good luck, and make sure you check out that website! By the way, they are based out of Texas.