You've seen the overview video of the 10 Steps of the Home Buying Process, and now it's time to look closer at each step individually.

Here is Step One: Researching and Reaching Out to a Realtor.

Here you are at the starting point. You recognize your need to purchase a home and want to know what action to take next.

Thought and Discussion

The first action I'd recommend is thinking about what you want and need. Chat with your partner about plans for the future, and the life you want to have. Think about your short-term and long-term goals and write them down.

Researching Realtors

Once you've established the direction you would like to take, it's time to research a realtor who can help you meet your needs. So, what are the criteria to look out for in a realtor, and where do you search?

Well, for criteria, you'll always benefit from experience; whether that be in the form of a realtor or broker who's been very active for years, or maybe they've closely mentored a new promising salesperson you're considering working with.

Visibility

Next, look at their visibility. Are they a top producer in your community, province, or even nationally? Have you ever been reached by an advertisement of theirs? Have you heard them on the radio or seen their signs on any lawns? Does their name or slogan at very least ring a bell?

Testimonials

You'll want to see testimonials from past clients and case studies on their accomplishments. This is sort of a wide guess of what their character is like; the greater number of positive reviews, the higher the likelihood they're trustworthy.

Online Presence

For this, you'll want to check out their online presence. Check out their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Google My Business. The more positive reviews you can find the better. This phase is a great time to see how your realtor candidates appear before we even reach out to them. You want to get a feel for them and the impression they have had on others.

Reach Out

Once you're impressed with a few potential realtors, it's time to reach out to them. Phone calls, text messages, or emails all work great.

Pay attention to how long it takes to get a response back as that could be a reflection of how on the ball they will be when dealing with you.

Now that you've made contact, you'll likely have an in-person meeting, where they'll discuss more in depth the value they'll bring if you choose to sign with them

Buyer Representation Agreement

In this meeting, you may solidify your decision to work with them by signing a Buyer Representation Agreement.

Now, once you've signed the agreement, the realtor is officially representing you, and they have to work for your benefit exclusively.

So, that was step 1: researching and reaching out to realtors. You searched local realtors; you found a few with some solid reviews;

You found some with competitive advantages; you contacted them and met with them, and finally, you signed the Buyer Representation Agreement with your top pick.

Next, we're on to Step Two: Pre-Approval, where you find out the size of the loan the financial lender will approve you for.