There are a lot of professionals who are going to be involved in your home purchase. But, none is going to be more important to you than the one we talk about in Episode #105. This episode covers how to find a real estate agent.

Topics covered include:

• The difference between a real estate agent and a realtor
• Typical responsibilities handled by a buyer’s real estate agent
• How a buyer’s real estate agent gets paid
• The types of real estate licenses in California
• What educational experience a licensed real estate agent must have
• What else does someone need to do before they can get a California real estate license
• How does a homebuyer start their search for a real estate agent
• How important is it for an agent to have knowledge about the specific area where you want to buy a home
• How important is it that an agent does a lot of advertising
• What are the pluses and minuses of working with a large real estate brokerage versus a small real estate brokerage
• What question does an agent wish more first-time homebuyers asked
• What does it mean to you when the your agent and the seller’s agent both work for the same broker?
• What happens if your agent also represents the seller
• What types of problems can lead a new homebuyer to filing a complaint with the Department of Real Estate

Our Guests:

Chika Sunquist, Department of Real Estate’s Assistant Commissioner overseeing Enforcement

Mike Shenkman, Licensed Real Estate Agent and lecturer at Department of Urban Studies and Planning at U.C. San Diego

Other Resources:

Verify a Real Estate Agent’s License: https://www2.dre.ca.gov/PublicASP/pplinfo.asp

DRE’s First Home – California Website: https://dre.ca.gov/FirstHomeCalifornia

DRE Contact Center: (877) 373-4542 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)

California Association of Realtors: https://www.car.org