Your first home purchase is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make, and the agent you choose shapes a lot of it: which homes you see, how your offers are written, and whether you find the down payment help you qualify for. Here's how to choose one well, written by an agent, so take it with that in mind. The questions below work for interviewing anyone, including me.
Why the right agent matters more for first-time buyers in Utah
Utah has unusually generous first-time buyer help, but it comes with timing rules that are easy to miss. A few examples:
- Provo's Home Purchase Plus and Utah County's Loan to Own require the home to be under contract before you apply, and funding is first-come, first-served.
- Utah Housing's assistance only works through an approved lender, so your lender choice has to match your program.
- Several programs cap the purchase price (Provo and Loan to Own at $495,000, Ogden at $430,000 for existing homes), and FHA needs a condo to be in an approved project.
An agent who knows these rules can steer your search and your offer around them. One who doesn't can cost you the program.
How buyer agreements and agent pay work now
Since August 17, 2024, agents who are part of the MLS have had to sign a written agreement with a buyer before touring a home, whether in person or by live video. Before you sign, know what's in it:
- Compensation is negotiable. The agreement has to state what your agent will be paid, as a set amount or percentage, and the agent can't collect more than that.
- Who pays can vary. Sellers often still cover the buyer's agent, either by offering it or because you ask for it in your offer as a concession. If they don't, the agreement spells out what you'd owe. Talk this through before you write offers, especially if your budget is tight.
- Length and exit terms matter. Look at how long the agreement lasts and how you can end it if the relationship isn't working. A shorter first agreement is a reasonable ask.
Questions to ask before you pick an agent
- How many first-time buyers have you helped, and how many used down payment assistance? Ask for numbers, not "lots."
- Which assistance programs fit my county and income? A good agent can name them and explain the catch for each, such as income limits, price caps, and whether the home must be under contract before you apply.
- Which lenders do you work with, and do any of them pay you for referrals? Federal law (RESPA) bans referral fees between lenders and agents, so the honest answer to the second part is no. You should always be free to use your own lender.
- How do you handle multiple-offer situations? Starter homes and condos in Utah can draw several offers. Ask how they would make your offer competitive without overpaying.
- How and when will you communicate? Text, call, evenings, weekends. Match it to how you work.
- What's in your buyer agreement? Compensation, length and how to end it. Ask for a copy before your first showing.
Check the license
Every Utah agent should be licensed with the Utah Division of Real Estate. You can look anyone up by name or license number on the Division's license search, which shows whether the license is active and when it expires. It takes a minute and is worth doing for anyone you're about to sign with.
Red flags
- Pressure to sign a long agreement before you've had a real conversation.
- Vague answers about assistance programs, or "you probably won't qualify" without looking at your numbers.
- Insisting on one specific lender. A recommendation is fine; a requirement is not.
- Pushing you past your budget. Your agent should respect the number you're comfortable with, not just the number you're approved for.
- Slow or no responses. If they're hard to reach before you sign, it won't improve after.
How I'd answer those questions
Since I wrote this, here are my own answers. I'm a licensed Utah REALTOR (DRE license 13980555-SA00) with Century 21 Everest, on the Elite Team, Utah's #1 Century 21 team. My personal record is 16 closings, 9 of them with first-time buyers and 4 that used down payment assistance, and I have 8 five-star reviews. That's a smaller number than some agents will quote you, and it's mine, not my team's. First-time buyers and assistance programs are the work I focus on, which is why this site exists.
I'm not paid for lender referrals. When buyers ask, I introduce them to Mitch Webb at Direct Rate Home Loans and a couple of other lenders I trust (they're listed on the resources page), and you're always free to use your own bank or credit union.
Next step
Interview two or three agents, ask everyone the same questions, and go with the one whose answers are specific and who makes you feel comfortable asking more. If you'd like me to be one of them, book a free consultation. We'll go through your budget, the programs that fit, and how I work, with no obligation to sign anything.