Real estate agents are more than just salespeople. It takes a myriad of qualities and characteristics and learned abilities to be a good real estate agent. Here are marks of a great agent, so if you are looking for an agent, check this list and make sure the agent you choose is top notch!

• Sales: Yes, real estate agents are salespeople. They negotiate deals and work with buyers and sellers to sell homes and earn a living.

• Photographer: Listing agents (and sometimes even buyer’s agents) must take great photos because bad photos don’t sell homes. Agents look for the best angles of each room and also need good cameras to capture the best lighting at the best quality.

• Videographer: Video tours are becoming more and more popular in the real estate industry. It can cost a lot of money to hire a professional videographer, so many real estate agents will put on the videographer hat as well. It takes talent to get the best angles and to keep the videos short and sweet and to the point, while highlighting the best parts of each house. Editing and finalizing video takes time and effort as well. The end product, though, goes a long way in marketing a home!

• Web Designer: We create a web site for each of our residential listings. We also have our blog and team web site that requires good design and navigability.

• Social Networker/Blogger: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, Active Rain… the list goes on for social networking sites. It is important for agents to be on social networking sites and to blog because that is where people are hanging out online. Social networking is the newest marketing tactic for real estate agents and other businesspeople because it is a fantastic way to reach consumers without being “pushy.”

• Paper Pusher: Agents are constantly doing paperwork. Contracts, disclosures, agreements, amendments, home inspection reports, termite reports, etc. We must keep precise files for each transaction because laws require it. Our team has created a system of checklists that allow us to keep track of every piece of paper that we possibly could get our hands on for each client. This keeps us organized!

• Contract Expert: Agents read contract language on a regular basis. We need to be experts on buyer’s agreements, listing agreements, and purchase contracts so we can explain what the fine print means to each client. It also helps to know the contracts inside and out so we can better negotiate each deal.

• House & Property Expert: With each listing, we need to know heating and cooling systems, appliances, electrical, what adds value and what doesn’t, plumbing, etc. It is important that we describe properties precisely for potential buyers. Incorrect information puts us in a bind and can be very detrimental. It is also helpful to know this information when showing homes to buyers.

• Measurer: Square footage is an important piece of information. Measuring the correct square footage requires attention to detail. Accurate measurements are a crucial point of the home buying process. Many times buyers will search for homes within a specific amount of living space, so if agents measure wrong, they could potentially upset home buyers, and thus, the sellers of that home as well.

• Writer: Blogging and writing descriptions of homes are a vital part of a real estate agent’s tasks. Great descriptions of homes are important in order to attract buyers and portray the home as best as possible. Blogging takes expertise in the real estate industry and providing quality content to readers in order to create a loyal following.

There are many “hats” that agents wear on a daily basis. They are social, logical, creative professionals that keep the end result in mind: helping home buyers and sellers navigate through the process of buying and/or selling a home. Realtors® like us take on an even more special role because we follow a strict code of ethics as well. When you find a great agent, he or she will likely hold all or most of the above characteristics.

Tooting our own horn: We feel we do pretty well at each of the above!