--- title: 4 Signs You Need a New Real Estate Agent description: Is it time to break up with your real estate agent? Here's how to decide. authors: - name: Leslie Cook role: Editor, Real Estate url: https://money.com/author/leslie-cook/ bio: Leslie Cook is Money’s lead real estate editor covering trends in the housing market, mortgage rates and real estate. She also writes about home renovation trends and tips. education: Bryn Mawr College, BA History certifications: Certified Personal Finance Counselor at_money_since: 2019 articles: 798 covers: - Housing - Banking - Credit - Economy and Politics - Identity Theft - Insurance - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Taxes social: - https://twitter.com/LeslieLCook - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-cook-9829b9198/ editors: - name: Kristen Bahler role: Managing Editor url: https://money.com/author/kristen-bahler/ bio: Kristen Bahler has spent more than a decade turning culture, work and consumer spending trends into conversation-driving stories. Today, she leads Money's sponsored content channel and reader-favorite franchises like Best Places to Live and Best Places to Travel. education: Northeastern University, MA Journalism at_money_since: 2016 articles: 52 covers: - Housing - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology social: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-bahler/ published: '2024-08-14T15:17:31.000Z' modified: '2024-08-14T15:17:31.000Z' section: Housing word_count: 991 canonical: https://money.com/signs-bad-real-estate-agent/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Photo collage of an image split in two of a real estate agent showing a suburban house to a couple](https://img.money.com/2024/07/Mortgage-Signs-Break-Up-Realtor.jpg) Hiring a good real estate agent means having a trusted mentor in your corner, ready to guide you through the ins and outs of the housing market. Hiring the wrong one, on the other hand, can lead to frustration, wasted time and heartbreak. Like many people, I found this out the hard way. After my mother passed 10 years ago, my brothers and I brought in a listing agent to help sell our childhood home. We knew we were in trouble when the agent casually remarked that she got into real estate to see (and judge) strangers’ homes. Worse, she aired this detail in front of two veteran buyer’s agents, making it clear that we were at a disadvantage. Real estate agents have a fiduciary duty to their clients, meaning that loyalty, providing full disclosure of transaction details, taking reasonable care of and listening to their client are part of the job description. Still, accidentally hiring a lousy one — and the head-scratching experience like the one my family encountered — are all too common. The truth is, it’s hard to suss out whether an agent is worth your time and money if you’ve never worked with them before, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer or seller. But in today’s tough market, where inventory is limited and prices are high, it’s crucial to find a skilled and experienced agent — and recognize when you’ve hired a dud. “Not all professionals with the same license are created equal,” says Alex McEwen, founder of [McEwen Realty](https://www.mcewenrealtors.com/) and broker associate at Selling Utah. “Having the right professional in your corner is worth its weight in gold.” Here are four signs it’s time to let go. ## They lack polish Here are the nuts and bolts of how the early stages of a home sale typically goes down. If you’re the seller, your agent will book some time to explain every step of the process from listing to closing. They’ll have you walk them through any upgrades you’ve made to the home, outstanding maintenance issues and how much you’re hoping to get for the home. Next, they’ll do some market research on similar properties in your neighborhood and come up with a reasonable listing price. Even before your home officially hits the market, your agent should be working diligently to make the sale as quick and efficient as possible; creating a tentative calendar of showings that works for your schedule, coaching you on how to artfully arrange your belongings before the open house and, ideally, hiring a professional photographer to take listing photos. If you’re the buyer, your agent will guide you through everything from setting a realistic budget to navigating the closing process.They’ll find properties that match your needs, help evaluate your options and negotiate on price and concessions to land you the best deal. In either scenario, you should always feel like you’re in good hands. If your agent makes you feel uneasy about their ability to do what you’ve hired them for, or you’re doing a lot of legwork yourself to bring the sale to fruition, you need to hire a new one. ## They’re bad at communicating Maintaining consistent and open communication is paramount to building strong relationships with clients. When you’re in the thick of a home search or sale, your agent should touch base with you by phone, text or email on a near-daily basis. For sellers, that means letting you know as soon as you get an offer, and helping decide what to counter with. For buyers, it means checking in with you periodically with updates on any offers you’ve submitted, and recommending strategies to make them more attractive. If, on the other hand, you always have to reach out to your agent for important updates, or leave message after message before they finally respond to you, it’s time to make a break for it. ## Buying a home doesn't have to be hard. Let Rocket Mortgage (NMLS #3030) experts guide your every step. ### Consulting with a mortgage expert is a smart way to get all the facts and make a well-informed decision. Click below and book it now. [View Rates](https://money.com/pr/q0ba5704b09e?ap_referrer=%2Fsigns-bad-real-estate-agent%2F) ## They’re pushy If you’re a buyer, your agent should kick off your home search by asking you to create two lists, one for essential features your new home must have, and another for features that would be nice to have. Once these lists are complete, your agent will use the local multiple listing service (MLS) to find homes that match your criteria. While you can search the MLS yourself, your agent has access to a wider range of listings, including off-market properties.. Your agent will then schedule showings of potential homes. During these tours, they should highlight the property’s strengths and point out areas that may need to be updated or repaired. Ideally, you should tour several homes to find the right fit. No matter how many properties you visit, your agent should never push you towards buying a particular home, especially if it doesn’t fit your criteria. “A real estate agent is not \[there\] to sell you a house,” says Bret Weinstein, CEO and founder of [Guide Real Estate](https://guidere.com/agents/bret-weinstein) in Denver. . “They’re there to ensure you buy the *right* house for you and your family.” ## They don’t know how to negotiate When it comes to negotiating, there’s always some wiggle room. A knowledgeable agent can tell you about every potential concession at your disposal, and take the reins when lobbying for one. They have expert knowledge in local housing market trends, and the ability to rattle off data points on everything from your neighborhood’s median home price to the average number of days it takes to sell a property on your block. And they can confidently evaluate whether a purchase offer is on point, and what kind of offer to counter it with. “If your real estate agent is not giving you the proper expert advice or helping you assess the risk and upside, you’ve got a bad apple,” McEwen says. ## Looking to take advantage of a cooling housing market? ### Find out how much you can borrow before you start looking. Click below to talk with a Mortgage expert from Rocket Mortgage (NMLS#: 3030) today. [View Rates](https://money.com/pr/x351741f3725?ap_referrer=%2Fsigns-bad-real-estate-agent%2F) More From Money: [8 Best Mortgage Lenders of 2024](https://money.com/best-mortgage-lenders/) [Rents Are Finally Falling — Here Are the Cities With the Biggest Drops](https://money.com/rent-prices-falling-cities-biggest-declines/) [These Are the Biggest Challenges for Today's Young Homebuyers](https://money.com/young-homebuyers-challenges-affordability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/signs-bad-real-estate-agent/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Housing", "item": "https://money.com/housing/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Home Buying", "item": "https://money.com/home-buying/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "4 Signs You Need a New Real Estate Agent" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/signs-bad-real-estate-agent/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/signs-bad-real-estate-agent/", "name": "4 Signs You Need a New Real Estate Agent", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2024-08-14T15:17:31.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/signs-bad-real-estate-agent/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/signs-bad-real-estate-agent/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2024-08-14T15:17:31.000Z" }, { "@type": "Article", "headline": "4 Signs You Need a New Real Estate Agent", "articleSection": "Housing", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2024/07/Mortgage-Signs-Break-Up-Realtor.jpg", "width": 3456, "height": 2304, "caption": "Mortgage-Signs-Break-Up-Realtor" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leslie Cook", "url": "https://money.com/author/leslie-cook/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/leslie-cook/#author", "description": "Leslie Cook is Money’s lead real estate editor covering trends in the housing market, mortgage rates and real estate. 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