Here are some suggestions on finding the right REALTOR to help you with your relocation to your NEW HOME. I'll talk about selling your current home in a later post.

Since you are leaving an area you know and moving to an area you probably don't, having a REALTOR you can trust to help you find your new home is critical. You will have lots to worry about and coordinate with your move, and working with an agent who does not understand your issues, nor care, is NOT going to be helpful.

1. I recommend working with an agent who is also a REALTOR, not someone who is not. A REALTOR is a real estate professional who is a member in good standing of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) and, thereby, adheres to a Code of Ethics. Not ALL agents are REALTORS,although many people use the terms interchangeably.

2. If you can, use someone who has been referred to you by someone you know and trust.  If you don't have a referral, I recommend first checking the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS) database for someone in the area you are moving to. Why? Well, REALTORS with the CRS designation (only about 4% of ALL REALTORS in the US have this certification) have to take a series of advanced courses (most are 2-day) on a range of topics relevant to the real estate profession (e.g., seller and buyer strategies, technology, working with referrals, financial issues, marketing, etc.) AND they must meet fairly rigorous production requirements during a given period in order to be certified. So not only do you know they have significant education but they have experience in handling a number of transactions. Individuals with the GRI designation are also strong professionals. Do not make your decision, however, based only on the certification...nor on the name of the brokerage the REALTOR works for.

3. If you do not have a recommendation or referral (probably true in most cases), do some research on the REALTOR you are interested in to find out what you can about them - look at their website, find out what professional certifications they have, what services they can offer you, do they work in the area you are moving to (or interested in), then...

4. Phone interview the person you are interested in (NOTE: If you leave a voice mail about why you are calling and it takes a long time for the agent to return the call, i.e., the next day or worse, I'd be VERY concerned about their responsiveness - not a good sign for the future). Ask them to tell you what relocation experience they have, either personally and/or in handling buyers moving to their area. If they haven't moved some distance themselves, at least they should have had experience with relocating buyers. If not, it may be difficult for them to understand your issues and effectively work with and assist you.

5. It is important to feel a level of comfort in speaking with the person you are interviewing, and a personal chemistry, but that's not all. Do you feel that they are truly interested in helping you? How do you know? What are the specific services they provide relocating buyers? How well do they know the community (ies) you are interested in? What can they tell you about the community as well as the state of the market there - is it a buyer's or a seller's market? Do they offer a customized relocation package? Are they willing to screen properties for you, based on YOUR criteria, not just set you up on a website  (while it is important that you have access to on-line properties in the area you are moving to, YOU don't know the area and the REALTOR should help you screen properties as s/he learns more about what you want and need). Can the REALTOR provide you with resources for you to do your OWN research (e.g., schools, crime).

6. Understand their responsiveness (see note above in #4) and their ability and willingness to help you late at night, on the weekend, etc. Since you aren't local and may be in a different time zone, much of the communication will be by telephone, email and fax. Questions will arise that need quick answers, and problems will occur, so you MUST be able to get in touch with your REALTOR quickly, and they need to respond fast. Do they get emails forwarded to their cell phone? Can they provide you with all the numbers to reach them quickly if you need to (believe it or not, some agents do not give out their cell phone numbers and expect you to leave voice mail in their office - how often do they check?). What about email - just because they HAVE an address does NOT mean they use it, and I know this from personal experience. You both need to agree on the most effective means to communicate and what works best for you.

7. You will be making a house hunting trip, in all likelihood, in advance of your actual move. Find out how your REALTOR will handle that. Will they set up an effective and substantial tour of homes and neighborhoods for you to see before you arrive? Will they show you properties YOU want to see (as well as those that they feel, based on their knowledge, are important for you to see as well)? Do they provide an itinerary in advance? Do they keep you posted on any changes (e..g, the home you fell in love with on-line and planned to see now has an accepted offer)? Are they comfortable and willing to make last minute changes based on your schedule, change in the housing that is available, ruling out areas you find youdon't like, etc. so you don't waste time?

These are just a few things to consider, and I will share more in future posts about effective ways to work with your REALTOR from a distance, and services you might want as a relocating buyer that will ease the transition. For more information, visit Relocation Services on my website. And if you have any experiences to share or other suggestions, by all means please share them so that others can learn too!