When buying or selling a property, hiring an exceptionally professional and experienced, licensed real estate agent, or even better a realtor, is of utmost importance. You want to make sure the person you’re entrusting with one of the most significant investments you can make has your best interests in mind–that means they are ethical, professional, skilled at negotiation, knowledgeable about your specific market and product, and will make it a smooth and enjoyable process for you. 

As this is frequently a lengthy process, you must keep in mind that you’ll be spending a lot of time with your realtor, so you’ll want to make sure you enjoy this person’s company. Also, you can find all the tools you need online to find the best Miami real estate agent, so why not take advantage of that?

The only thing is, in a city of 40,000 real estate professionals, how to find a truly qualified real estate agent or realtor in Miami that will get you the results can feel like finding a needle in a haystack.

In this blog, I am going to share with you what it means to be a great real estate agent, what being a “Realtor” means, and give you resources on how to find the best realtor in your area.

— What Constitutes a Top Real Estate Agent or Realtor in Miami

First, let’s define what it means to be an experienced and reliable real estate agent:

1. Proven Results. They must have stats and a track record that show they’ve helped clients buy or sell properties like yours in neighborhoods like yours.

If you’re a seller, ask them how many properties like yours they’ve sold in your neighborhood in the last year or two. Better yet, in your condo building. 

If you’re a buyer, your agent should know the product you want and neighborhoods you are interested in extremely well.

Also, ask them if they have access to off-market properties. We do. If yours doesn’t, perhaps reconsider.

2. Professional and Pleasant. Your realtor should be a pleasure to work with. It doesn’t mean they are a push-over, just that they are a real professional who knows how to make the process a pleasant one for you while being willing to step up when needed for your benefit.

3. Experienced. Someone may have proven results in a hot market, but that just takes a salesperson. Has this realtor been through various market cycles and knows how to maneuver regardless of what the market is doing?

For example, having been on the Miami real estate market for over 20 years myself, I have the knowledge and experience to help my clients decide when is the best time to buy or sell.

Second, I just want to note the difference between a licensed real estate agent and a realtor.

In this blog, we are using the terms Real Estate Agent and Realtor, however, there is a difference. For a real estate agent to be able to call themselves a Realtor, they must become a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and their state’s association, for example the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR).

The term REALTOR^® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS^® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. And only NAR members can use the title "Realtor."

— How to Find the Best Realtor in Miami? 

The answer is the one that will get the job done, ethically and professionally, and specifically for you. Just because someone is one of the top Palm Beach realtors doesn’t mean they will likely be effective for an area like Miami Beach, for example. Why? Because the Miami market is different from the Palm Beach market. The question is whether they have the right combination of qualities that match your goals and intentions.

It’s very important to research who you work with to make sure he/she is up to par for the task. To ensure you have the best Miami real estate agent, here is a list of attributes you should be looking for:

Experience

I have been in the business for over 20 years now as one of the top luxury real estate agents in Miami, as a Realtor, and a Broker with dozens of agents under me. And I have sold hundreds of properties from $50K up to $20 million. The one thing I can assure you is that one learns something new in almost every transaction, so vast experience is definitely one of the main qualities you want your agent to possess.

There are so many variables in the sale of a property. They say that no two snowflakes are alike, and neither are any two real estate transactions.

Choose a realtor with significant experience, so when you hit a bump in the road they know how to handle it.

Social Proof

Look and ask for clues that prove others have had great experiences with them. These are generally:

1. Referrals

Getting a referral is wonderful, but make sure the person referring is doing you a favor and not just helping their realtor friend or family member get more business.

In other words, make sure the person referring has used their services and has had a great experience with them.

Ask lots of questions to make sure the way they work is how you’d like to work. Everyone has different expectations, so make sure yours will be met.

2. Quality Reviews and Testimonials

Online reviews and testimonials are a great way to learn about others’ experiences with a realtor. If there are no online reviews, it doesn’t mean that the realtor is not worthy of your business but it certainly doesn’t help prove that they are. 

Read the comments to see what kind of business the person had with the realtor and if their description of the clients’ experience matches what you are looking for. However, don’t get put off if they have less than 5 stars. That means they are human! (And it also means that some of their clients may have had overly high expectations).

Here are the best places to find reviews on realtors:

• Zillow
• Yelp
• Realtor.com
• Homelight

I can’t stress how important it is to look at the reviews for your agent or realtor. If no one has reviewed them and you weren’t referred to them by someone who had a great, direct experience, it may be best to look elsewhere.

Like-Mindedness 

I know I just said how important referrals or reviews are, but just because others have had a great experience with the realtor doesn’t mean you will get along with them. Besides doing due diligence with the reviews, find their bio and read a bit about their philosophy to see if they seem like the right fit. 

Also when you read reviews, try to look for clues as to what their personality is like to ensure it meshes with yours. You will probably spend a couple dozen hours with this realtor, so might as well make it enjoyable for you.

Specialization 

There are many different subspecialties in the real estate world, and as they say ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. Getting yourself a generalist is a recipe for disaster, so consider what type of property you’re trying to buy or sell, what kind of transaction it is, and what areas or neighborhoods you’re interested in.

• Find the best realtor by neighborhood.

Look for someone with a good sales record in your particular area of interest, even better is one who lives and specializes in that area.

• Find the best realtor by type of transaction.

Two of the most sought-after specialties are realtors who have extra experience and skill in handling short sales or foreclosures. 

If you are selling your property in a short sale, take the time to find a good realtor who lists this as one of their specialties. The same goes if you’re trying to buy a property that is in foreclosure. You may see them mention Bank-Owned properties or REO properties.

• Find the best realtor by type of property.

Real estate specialists are agents that focus on specific niches, for example, condos, luxury mansions, commercial real estate, or single-family homes.

Having been in the condo business for over 20 years, I can tell you it makes a difference if you choose a realtor who knows your building, the nuances between units in the same building, or other specific characteristics of condo life.

At Blackbook Properties we have agents who specialize in different areas of the city, and different buildings and we also have our very own Director of Luxury Sales, Stephanie Bienstock.

The due diligence for finding a real estate specialist is similar to that of finding any good real estate agent: get referrals, interview several agents, and check the agent’s credentials, history, and track record.

If you’d like to meet a top Miami real estate agent who understands your needs and meets all of the criteria above, call us. We’d love to know more about your property goals and how we can help you.

Professionalism

This should go without saying, but look for a realtor who does what they say they are going to do, answers emails and calls promptly, arrives on time to meetings and is easy to get a hold of and to communicate with.

Look for a professional appearance, good manners, and ease of communication in a business context.

Availability and Communication

One of the most important characteristics of a good realtor is your ability to get a hold of them quickly if you have a question or an interested buyer. Make sure you have several ways to reach your agent and don’t be afraid to drop a potential agent if you see that they don’t respond promptly to your calls or messages.

Also, look for someone who has a professional communication style, speaks clearly, explains things, and answers questions with knowledge and expertise.

Sales Statistics 

Besides charisma and professionalism, stats are also super important. You’ll have to look at an agent’s track record to give you a good sense of how the agent performs in the marketplace.

Some numbers you might want to look at include:

1. Number of sales by area and property type. This can help you compare to other agents in the area. 
2. Days on Market, i.e. how long the properties they have in queue sit on the market.
3. Average sale price, which will help you determine if the realtor you are looking for is used to working in the type of property you are looking to buy or sell.
   
   

— What Not to Look for

In this day and age, Instagram and other forms of social media are an amazing tool that works both ways, realtors and agents can reach a wider audience and clients get to choose from a greater pool of professionals. However, some people are masters of image and not of execution. 

If “image is everything” as Andre Agassi used to say in the old Canon commercials, so be it. But if you want substance too, make sure to dig deeper and know the major mistakes to avoid when looking for a realtor.

On top of this, and while it should probably go without saying, this is Miami, so it bears repeating: never choose an agent or any other professional just because they speak your language or come from your cultural background, or you find them attractive.

At Blackbook Properties, we have an international, multilingual team with experience and diverse backgrounds that can help you achieve all your real estate goals.

Now, with all of this valuable information under your belt, you can be confident in knowing how to find the best realtor in Miami. If you want to get started on your real estate journey or would like to expand your current portfolio, don’t hesitate to reach out. We have over 20+ years of experience in the South Florida market and would love to help you.