The majority of articles about how to choose the right realtor in New York City are either about the agent rosters of typical real estate brokerage companies or about asking your friends for suggestions. None of these articles offer any practical advice or even hint at the potential that house buyers might save money on their purchase by receiving a buyer commission rebate or that sellers can save up to all 6% of standard broker costs when selling through an Agent Assisted FSBO. We’ll analyze the most popular ways for locating a real estate agent in New York City that you’ll discover online and also reveal some insider secrets brokers don’t want you to know. We are also here for you if you need some quality moving and storage Brooklyn. Continue reading to find out more about how to choose the right realtor in NYC.
The realtors you should never choose
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The real estate broker that lives in your building. This is the worst way to choose the right realtor in NYC. Only used by the laziest people. Don’t be that person! No matter how many times you’ve heard that paying 6% commission to sell in NYC is some sort of law. Think again! Some real estate brokers would love you to believe that, but it’s certainly not the case!
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The realtor who keeps sending you postcards. How annoying is that? These postcards are completely useless. Go ahead and throw that in the trash. If they were a serious business, they would’ve just let people look online for the latest sales in their building.
- The realtor from your social network. This is bad for numerous reasons, but here is the most important one. Choosing a real estate agent only because they are in your social network presupposes that there is no pricing disparity in the market. Brooklyn real estate analysis can help you choose the right realtor for you.

How to choose the right realtor in NYC?
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Ensure that the agent or broker is a member of REBNY. This organization is special in that all member brokerages are obliged to sign a “universal co-brokerage agreement” in which they commit to maintaining current listings and “co-broking” (i.e. cooperating and splitting commission with buyers’ agents), with severe consequences for non-compliance. As a result of this rigorous self-policing, REBNY members have unique access to listing data provided by other member brokers that is more up-to-date and accurate than data available to the general public.
- Demand a commission rebate from your buyer agent in New York City. This is a critical piece of information that none of the basic online articles on how to hire a real estate agent in New York City will include. You can find more valuable advice on our Brooklyn real estate guide and we guarantee you won’t have any problems with finding a good agent.
- Avoid the ones who are asking you to sign an exclusive buyer agency agreement. If you’re unsure how to choose the right realtor in NYC, a huge red signal is if your agent attempts to pressure you into signing an Exclusive Right To Representation Agreement.

We hope that you have found our tips on how to choose the right realtor in NYC helpful. If you are a business owner moving to NYC, you can contact our small office movers Brooklyn for the best quality service and affordable prices!