On the one hand, many real estate firms take a one size fits all approach to marketing.
On the other, your own unique and individual needs may require a more specialized touch, so you'll need a realtor that understands the ins and outs of the Vegas area and can match you with the perfect home.
However, picking the right one doesn't have to be impossible.
To help get you started on the right track, I've put together a short checklist.
I'll explain what each item means, and tell you why this is important.
First, if you want to pick the best Las Vegas realtor, you should be able to answer "yes" to the following questions:
- Do they know a lot about the Las Vegas area?
- Are they interested in saving you money?
- Do they have any experience with foreclosed homes?
- Do they offer a foreclosure bus tour of the Las Vegas area?
- Are there tools online that can help you if the realtor is unavailable?
Sure, any fly-by-night realtor can tell you that Las Vegas is home to "the strip".
Chances are though, if you're planning on settling down here you'll want to know more than just where to find a good hand of black jack.
A seasoned agent will be able to tell you all about the Boulder City Library, the Clark County School District, the Clark Country Election Department, and even KNPR 88.
5 the local NPR affiliate station.
If your realtor can easily give you these specific Las Vegas details, you know you've picked a winner! Now, can your realtor demonstrate they're committed to saving you money? This is one of the few states with no state sales tax.
They should be able to tell you about other services like the Citizens Area Transit system and Clark County Parks and Recreations that can save your family money once you've decided to call this town your home.
In addition, make sure your realtor's strongest drive is foreclosed homes, which can sometimes spare you a large amount of cash on purchasing a brand new house.
Since Vegas has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country and many local listing are selling between 75-100k, your realtor should be able to point out which are good buys and how to use the Nevada State Contractors Board to make sure any contractors you'll need are licensed.
You may also want to see if they offer a foreclosure bus tour of the Vegas area, so you can quickly see all the properties that are available.
Many communities like Aliante and Red Rock have multiple listings that are much easier to see by way of tour rather than driving to each house one by one.
Perhaps the most important thing that will help you pick the best realtor is their online tools! They should be able to show you community listings, agent videos, and blogs about local events like the month-long World Series of Poker, Las Vegas Marathon, Freemont Street Mardi Gras, City of Light Jazz Festival, Blue Sky International Film Festival, and Greek Food Festival.
Together, all of these qualities should help you define and pick the best Las Vegas realtors.