How to choose an Atlanta real estate agent

What an agent does in a purchase

A buyer's agent does far more than unlock doors:

• Search and tours: filter homes by budget, commute and school requirements, set up showings and point out problems.
• Pricing and the offer: use recent nearby sales (comps) to judge value, write the offer, and negotiate price, the due diligence period and earnest money with the listing agent.
• Under contract: schedule the inspection, negotiate repairs or a price cut, and track every deadline for the appraisal, loan approval and title search.
• Closing: coordinate with the lender and the closing attorney so you close on time.

So choose an agent on experience and communication at each of these steps, not just on language.

Step one: check the license

Georgia real estate licenses are issued by the Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC). Its online License Search shows whether a license is active, the license type (salesperson or broker), the expiration date and any disciplinary action.

REALTOR® is something else: only licensees who belong to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) may use the title, and they agree to its Code of Ethics.

My Georgia real estate license is #440418 with Virtual Properties Realty (GREC firm #H-45477); you are welcome to look it up.

The rules that changed in August 2024

Under NAR's settlement, starting August 17, 2024:

• Sign a written agreement before touring. A buyer's agent working through the MLS must have a written agreement with you, describing the services and the compensation, before you tour a home (in person or by live video). In Georgia the usual form is the Georgia REALTORS® Buyer Brokerage Engagement Agreement. Talking to an agent at an open house or asking about their services does not require one.
• Compensation is negotiable. It always has been; there is no standard rate.
• The MLS no longer shows offers of compensation to buyer agents. Whether a seller pays your agent is settled by negotiation, so ask before you sign.

Before signing, read the term, the scope (certain cities or property types only?), how compensation is calculated and who pays it, and how either side can end the agreement.

Eight questions to ask in an interview

• 1. How many homes did you close in the cities I want in the past year? Ask for examples, such as case studies.
• 2. Are you full time, and how quickly do you usually reply?
• 3. What are the term and compensation in your buyer agreement, and who pays any part the seller doesn't?
• 4. In a multiple-offer situation, how will you make my offer competitive without taking on undue risk?
• 5. How long a due diligence period do you usually suggest, and how do you negotiate inspection findings?
• 6. How will you help me verify school assignment and HOA rules? (Schools go by address, not ZIP code or city name.)
• 7. Would you ever represent the seller and me at the same time (dual agency)? In Georgia, dual agency requires both parties' prior written consent.
• 8. Can you recommend a lender, inspector and closing attorney, and do you have any financial ties to them?

What Chinese-speaking buyers care about most

• Language: contracts, inspection reports and loan documents are in English; an agent who can explain the terms in Chinese prevents misunderstandings.
• Financing: many buyers are self-employed, recently changed jobs, are new to the US or are buying investment property, so the loan takes more planning. A deal closes smoothly when the agent and the loan work together.
• Buying remotely: buying from another state or overseas takes experience with video tours, e-signing and remote closings.

How I work

I'm Zion Chen, a Georgia REALTOR® and a licensed mortgage loan officer in Georgia and California. One person handles the search, the offer and the loan, so nothing gets lost between an agent and a lender. See my case studies; for the buying process and costs, the Atlanta home buying guide; for schools, how to check Atlanta school zones; and when you're ready, get pre-approved.