When it comes to finding a real estate agent, you have plenty of choice. Even if you’ve already hired a realtor, you don’t have to stick with them if they are doing a terrible job, or if they are failing to fulfill their duties at all. Here are four signs that your real estate agent stinks.

When Your Real Estate Agent Acts More Like a Car Salesman

If your real estate agent is always being pushy, to the point that you feel like you’re at a used car lot, there is a problem.  Real estate agents do have a sales job in some ways, but ultimately their job is much more in the customer service vein. Your real estate agent should act as more of a counselor than a salesman. They should be asking you lots of questions about what you’re looking for and what you’re trying to achieve. Only an agent who asks the right questions will really be able to help you get what you need.

When Your Agent is Always Out of Pocket

It’s understandable that a real estate agent may not be able to answer the phone at the drop of a hat 24/7. However, when they seem to be out of reach constantly, they aren’t being a good agent. A good agent will be in touch with their clients on a very regular basis, especially in the early days. The best agents will give their clients a way to get in touch even after hours, too. Even if it’s only a voicemail, this allows you the ability to have some type of contact when you need to get in touch right away. Good agents will return calls within a day, but bad ones may ignore calls for days on end.

When Your Agent Ignores Your Wishes

One of the first things that you probably did when you hired a real estate agent was to review a list of “must haves” and deal breakers with them. If you feel that something is important enough to be included on that list, your agent needs to take note. If they ignore your requirements, they just aren’t doing their job. For example, an agent who is determined to show you homes in another school district when you made it clear that you are unwilling to leave your school district under any circumstances is blatantly ignoring your needs. There is no reason to work with an agent who isn’t trying to work with you.

When Your Agent Doesn’t Do The Research

For a good realtor in Malibu, one of the key factors in home sales and purchasing is research. This research can be fairly extensive, and it is absolutely essential if an agent is to know how much money a buyer should be paying, or how much a seller should be asking. Doing a comparative market analysis is vital. Essentially, this means that the agent will closely analyze your home (or potential home) and compare the price to other homes of similar size in the neighborhood. Homes that have sold in the last several months in the same area give an excellent guideline for pricing. If your agent doesn’t research the comps, it may be time for a new realtor.