5 Questions to Ask Your Anchorage Alaska Realtor

Buying a home is an important financial investment decision wherever you are, so you want to make sure you’re entrusting it to the right Realtor. Here are 5 questions to ask Realtors when buying a home in Anchorage, Alaska:

How long and where have you been in real estate?

Experience is key; so much of real estate is learned through the “real world” ups and downs, not in a classroom. Finding a Realtor who has enough experience to speak from will help ensure a smooth home buying process.

How long and where have you lived in Alaska?

The Alaska real estate market is almost completely different from other states in the country, and the Anchorage real estate market is almost completely different from other towns and cities in the state, so an experienced local perspective is an advantage. Make sure your Realtor has lived in Anchorage for a while, or has at least done some serious homework on the area.

Are you tech-savvy in the way you do business?

With the Internet in play, listings can become available – or unavailable – in a snap, and you don’t want to miss a good deal, so ask your Realtor how he/she intends to keep you up to speed with the most current listings. Your Realtor should have a software or email system in place to send you new listings as soon as they hit the market; if not, steer for more tech-savvy waters.

Can you refer me to a qualified mortgage professional?

How quickly and how well a Realtor is able to answer this questions shows how active he/she is professionally, or at least how long he/she has been in the industry. If your Realtor has a solid track record of successful buy-side transactions, i.e. helping home buyers like you, and is well-connected, he/she will have no problem giving you a few names.

What percentage of your business comes via referral?

Honest, hard-working Realtors who conduct their business with excellence usually get a significant portion of their business from happy clients. If your Realtor gets less than a quarter of new business via referrals, it’s likely because his/her service or client follow-up is lacking. The best way for clients to demonstrate their thankfulness for exceptional service is by referring friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to their favorite Realtor.

With these questions in mind, you’re ready to interview a few Realtors and get started with your Anchorage home search! Happy house-hunting!