Real Estate for the Georgia Coast Midi Shaw, Associate Broker, REALTOR®, GRI, ABR®, SRS®e-PRO 
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|  Remember, not all real estate agents are REALTOR®! Only those who are members of the National Association of REALTOR® can be called one. We ascribe to an established Code of Ethics and conduct business to a higher standard. For more information, please check out the NAR site at www.realtor.com | | If you like what you see here and would like to work with me in your real estate process, simply contact me and let's talk! 
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Your first step in the Homebuying process is to find the right REALTOR® to work with you. So much of working with a REALTOR® has to do with personalities and personal style and since we are all different, it's important to find one who best suits your own personality. Talk to your friends and family -- the ones who know you best -- and ask for sound referrals. Take time to research real estate agents in your area and shop around. Once you find a few agents to consider, interview them. Yes, it's a job interview. You are hiring the agent for a job - the job is to assist you in the home buying process. Now, notice that I say, home buying Process -- rather than "finding a home." Buying a home involves... - The process of research, sifting through a real estate market full of homes to find the most suitable one for you and weeding out the ones that don't work.
- Understanding market conditions and comparative information to know what to offer for a home.
- It involves completing a purchase and sale agreement, which, in the State of Georgia, has been revised from 5 pages to 7 pages and is more complicated than ever. If not completed properly, a purchase and sale agreement can often be void in the eyes of the courts if there are any legal problems that arises during the transaction or subject to interpretation by the courts in the case of vagueness or unclear intentions within the contract.
- Negotiating price and terms of the purchase in the form of counter-offers.
- Addendums and exhibits to ensure all the details are documented properly
- Home inspections, examination of home inspection results, and the negotiations of issues raised by a home inspection.
- Following up to ensure all the issues agreed upon from the inspection are completed properly.
- Termite letters -- where timing is everything to ensure you are protected.
- Getting all the paperwork and proper instructions to your closing attorney.
- Following up with the Sellers to ensure they are doing everything necessary on their part of the purchase and sale agreement in order for the sale to close.
- Following up with your lender to ensure all the paperwork is in order and you are clear to close.
- Following up with the closing attorney to ensure all the title work has been completed and that it is clear, marketable and insurable.
- Advising you on Home Buyer's Warranties, insurance, etc.
- Assisting you with final walkthroughs and accompanying you to your closing as your representative
Keep these points in mind when you're thinking about hiring an agent and ask yourself if you feel confident in that person to fully represent you in a professional and competent manner throughout the entire process. Do or Dye? A friend of mine in Atlanta was looking for a condo and I asked her if she needed a referral for an agent. She replied, "No, I think I'm going to use my hairdresser's brother." I asked, "Do you know this guy well and is he very qualified?" It turns out that she'd never met the man but was making this decision strictly to make her hairdresser happy so that he would continue to make her hair look good... | Some other points to keep in mind when hiring an agent:- Schedule one on one appointments and interview them. You are hiring them to do a job so as in any hiring process, you should interview them.
- Hire the one with whom you feel most comfortable; someone who has the sort of temperment and personal style that may work best with your own; someone whom you feel is the best qualified to provide the services you need.
- Social relationships are always important, but it shouldn't be the primary reason for choosing a REALTOR®. Just because you've known someone for 20 years doesn't necessarily mean that person is the right agent for you. Knowing someone socially and hiring someone to do a very important job for you are sometimes two very separate things.
- Never be "guilted" into hiring someone. Your decision to hire an agent is strictly your own. If you have friends or acquaintances who are in the business, they should be professional enough to respect your decision -- especially if your decision was not made in an arbitrary way and you have sound reasons for your choice.
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