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Hello. I've been reading messages here for a few days and this is my first post. My husband and I are thinking of moving to NJ (hazlet area). We haven't spoken to any real estate agents yet because we are planning to drive around some neighborhoods first to get a better idea of the area. I read a good tip here about going to some open houses as that gives you a chance to see what's out there as well as meet some of the agents and get a feel for them. Can someone tell me when the dates are usually published or the best way to find out about them? Thanks very much.
Depending on where you are looking, check The Record for Bergen, Star Ledger for Essex/Hudson. In addition to New Jersey MLS, also look up Garden State MLS. (http://new.gsmls.com/public/ - broken link)
Also check Craigslist, you'll find some FSBO open houses advertised there.
Keep in mind that you should always tell the agent in charge that you are represented, whether you are or not. If you don't, and you like the house, you could find yourself accidentally falling into a dual agency. This is where the agency that represents the seller also attempts to represent you in the transaction. Dual agency is a terrible deal for you. There is no honest way to represent both the buyer and the seller in a real estate transaction. It is legal in New Jersey, but illegal in about 10 other states.
So make sure you tell the agent at the open house that you do not want representation, that you have your own. Then you're fine.
Insider tip: The purpose of open houses is not only to sell the house, it is also to collect buyers like you to represent in other transactions. There is nothing wrong with that, but that is really not the right way for you, the buyer, to select an agent. Many real estate agents who sit open houses are newbies. That's what we do with newbies, stick them in open houses to learn how to communicate with buyers. You DO NOT want a newbie representing you as a buyer under any circumstances.
By the way, that's also the reason you should NEVER call the agent on the yard sign to show you the house. Your implicitly risking dual agency. Google "dual agency" to see why it is so bad. Use your own agent to show you all homes.
Hello. I've been reading messages here for a few days and this is my first post. My husband and I are thinking of moving to NJ (hazlet area). We haven't spoken to any real estate agents yet because we are planning to drive around some neighborhoods first to get a better idea of the area. I read a good tip here about going to some open houses as that gives you a chance to see what's out there as well as meet some of the agents and get a feel for them. Can someone tell me when the dates are usually published or the best way to find out about them? Thanks very much.
Realtor.com is a good site as are all of the major real estate sites (Remax, Weichert, etc) you also want to find out any small agencies, see if they have a web site. I always tell buyers to sign up at every site as they all do not pick up every listing. Since you are coming from out of state, you might want to do a google or bigyellow.com search for real estate in that town.
Some towns don't really do many open houses. In my town they do not sell houses but in this market, some agents are doing them for people like you.
If you do a search for my posts, I have a few where I listed the major real estate sites and how I searched for houses when I was buying.
btw, some agents list open houses a few weeks in advance while others don't post it until that weekend. It depends on how lazy/motivated the agent is.
Keep in mind that you should always tell the agent in charge that you are represented, whether you are or not. If you don't, and you like the house, you could find yourself accidentally falling into a dual agency. This is where the agency that represents the seller also attempts to represent you in the transaction. Dual agency is a terrible deal for you. There is no honest way to represent both the buyer and the seller in a real estate transaction. It is legal in New Jersey, but illegal in about 10 other states.
So make sure you tell the agent at the open house that you do not want representation, that you have your own. Then you're fine.
Insider tip: The purpose of open houses is not only to sell the house, it is also to collect buyers like you to represent in other transactions. There is nothing wrong with that, but that is really not the right way for you, the buyer, to select an agent. Many real estate agents who sit open houses are newbies. That's what we do with newbies, stick them in open houses to learn how to communicate with buyers. You DO NOT want a newbie representing you as a buyer under any circumstances.
By the way, that's also the reason you should NEVER call the agent on the yard sign to show you the house. Your implicitly risking dual agency. Google "dual agency" to see why it is so bad. Use your own agent to show you all homes.
[SIZE=2]Thanks so much, this is all great info. I want to learn as much on my own before getting input from an agent. I think that will help us weed out the bad agents and hopefully find a good one. I was hoping to observe them quietly at open houses but it does make sense that newer agents would be circling like sharks at them! It would be nice to find something in Hazlet but I think it might be a little pricey for us. Hopefully we'll like Keyport or Aberdeen. The comments on Keansburg make it sound like it wouldn't be a great choice for us. We're not in a rush so if we take our time I hope we find something great in just the right place. This is a really nice message board.
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