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Finding the Best Miami Realtor For You

From the Miami Relocation Guide.

If you have been reading the rest of this guide, you by now probably have your choice of areas narrowed down. But where do you go to find your own little slice of heaven? Fun as it is cruising the streets looking for “For Rent” signs and calling numbers that rarely answer in a language you speak, there are easier, less frustrating ways to obtain a decent place to live.

THAT GUY DRIVING YOUR TAXI CAN PROBABLY SELL YOU A HOUSE

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If there is one thing Miami has a lot of, it is bad drivers. But next to that, it’s realtors. I’m’ not joking, walk into any bar in Dade County and chances are the guy serving you drinks has a real estate license. That guy next to you on line at Publix? He’s got listings from Aventura to Cutler Bay. The girl you met last night at Novacento? Gave you her card, didn’t she? It is not hard to find people to find apartments and/or houses for you. The problem, of course, is they may charge you fees, not be able to find exactly what you want, or find you places that are more expensive so they can make more money. It’s South Florida. We’re all on the take.

The best way to find a realtor that actually knows what they are doing as opposed to using it as a secondary source of income is to get a recommendation. If you have any friends in the area, see if they know have a realtor they used that did a good job. Not their friend, not their nephew Carlos, and not the girl at work who just got her realtor’s license, but a real-live professional realtor. While personal recommendations are often helpful, there are no guarantees unless they have actually worked for the person suggesting them to you.

EDUCATE YOURSELF IN THIS VOLATILE MARKET

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Lacking anyone who can make a recommendation, try going in to a real estate office to see what they have to offer. Even if this means walking into the rental assistance office in South Beach when you are looking To buy a house in Pinecrest, the people inside can usually at least refer you to someone who specializes in the area you are looking at. Do not, however, let someone who does rentals in the beach look for said house in Pinecrest. They may claim to know the area, but that is most likely just them trying to earn a commission. There is a good chance this person not only doesn’t know about real estate in Pinecrest, but probably couldn’t even find it on a map. Local geography is not the strong suit of most South Floridians.

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Assuming you do not want to go through a realtor, there are several resources you can use. There is always good old Craigslist, although your luck there is limited as Miami is not the most computer-savvy city. This is what happens when the majority of your populous comes from places that lack running water. The classified ads in the Miami Herald and the Miami New Times can also yield some interesting possibilities. Unfortunately everyone in Miami knows this so anything decent will be gobbled up within minutes of the paper hitting your front porch. Another great option is “The Flyer” which is sort of the Miami version of the Penny Saver, printed in both English and Spanish. So make sure you get the right one. It is typically delivered via US mail, but if you go to their website they will be more than happy to send you a copy. For the rest of your life.

So whether you decide to go it alone or use the services of a semi-scrupulous realtor, finding a house or apartment in Miami is not a difficult process to undertake. There are plenty of people looking to help you along the way, and even if you do not want their assistance we have many resources that you can use to find your own place. Just remember not to believe everything someone tells you and if something looks to good to be true it most likely is.

Stay tuned next week for tips on finding a job.

Miami Relocation Guide:

If you like these articles, why not link to the Relocation Guide, or bookmark it as one of your favorites?

About the Author: Matt Meltzer is a featured columnist at Miami Beach 411.

By Matt Meltzer Jump To Comments
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9 Responses to "Finding the Best Miami Realtor For You"

    Miami Fl Realtor says:

    Recommendations are always a great idea when hiring any service professional - If someone you know has received great service with someone - well that’s a great hint that the person recommended is most likely top notch!

    Reply

    Posted on 04/25 at 9:26 PM
    Trader says:

    I would hate being ripped off in any field, it’s just in my nature to be fair to people and expect the same treatment.

    Reply

    Posted on 11/21 at 6:55 AM
Atlantic City says:

I recently sold my house and when I picked a Realtor I relied heavily on recommendations of family and friends. Its the only way to do it.

Reply

Posted on 07/08 at 6:48 AM
Condo says:

Thanks for great tips and my goal is to offer you the most up-to-date information on the Miami Beach real estate market. Search the entire inventory of condos, homes and vacant land

Reply

Posted on 01/17 at 1:28 AM
Justin Tate-Johnson says:

Kudos for your part time Realtor comment. Do you really want a Part Time Cardiologist? Or a Part Time Barber? haha Realtors are not any different. You need good representation, You need someone working for you that knows what they are doing. Make sure you get a PRO!  Leave the contracts and negotiations to someone that does it all day long. Leave the wasting time looking at places that are crap because we have already toured them and found the diamond properties and are just waiting for you to call to make the deal happen. Do you want to be the guy/girl that is featured on the New Times for getting scammed by The Nigerian Craigslist scam, or do you want to be the guy/girl that got a Realtor and lived happily ever after…

Reply

Posted on 06/21 at 9:48 PM
Varisha says:

The best way to find a Realtor that actually knows what they are doing as opposed to using it as a secondary source of income is to get a recommendation. If you have any friends in the area, see if they know have a Realtor they used that did a good job.

Reply

Posted on 07/06 at 6:25 AM
jzrobles says:

This is great, I’ve been to 86 corporations all over the USA.  I just got interviewed for a position (high tech IT) with the a prominent medical college there.  The pay was very low, but seems to have lots of benefits.  The odd part of the interview was when I said I would arrive in Miami and stay in a hotel near the job location.  They were very concerned about that which seemed extraordinary since the place I thought to stay was just across the street - they recommended I do not stay there for safety reasons.  I laughed at all the articles I read and remember my adventures in riding in a Turkish Government vehicle.  The driver seemed to be well above the “traffic laws” and stopping did not apply at least in the city of Istanbule.  I compare all my experiences to that, it sounds like Yourami might compete with that experience.  Keep up the good work, I’ll be arriving there about 10 PM on Sunday.

Reply

Posted on 09/17 at 11:06 PM
Nate Wolf says:

REALTOR® is a proper noun and a registered trademark of the National Assocation of Realtors. What the author is referring to is “real estate agent” which is not the same as a REALTOR®. A REALTOR® is also a real estate agent or broker, but as a member of the NAR has agreed to adhere to professional standards and the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. It would be improper for a REALTOR® to serve a client outside of their area of expertise. Hiring a REALTOR® is the best way to ensure that your rights are protected in a real estate transaction.

Reply

Posted on 02/28 at 7:56 PM
Juan Otero says:

As a realtor myself I take pride in what I do..my customers hire me to do the best job. My clients are for live or family after my service…

Reply

Posted on 09/16 at 8:14 PM

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