How to Find a Real Estate Agent That Speaks Your 1st Language Online
Updated: Jun 22
Image courtesy Realtor.com
In the home buying or selling process, if you're looking to purchase in the United States, or another country where the language of the country isn't your first language, it's not a bad idea to consider language when selecting an agent. If you don't speak English fluently, finding an agent that speaks your language should be one of your top priorities and part of your filtering process for weeding out the vast majority of agents. If 1 decision maker speaks English fluently, but the other doesn't, it's important that both decision makers have full understanding to avoid confusion. Below I'll go over how to find an agent that speaks your language online on Zillow or Realtor.com as well as what to consider if you're not finding a speaker of the language you know best.
Zillow.com (Desktop/Laptop View)
1.
Option A (1 Step):
Go to the Agent Finder section of Zillow here: https://www.zillow.com/professionals/real-estate-agent-reviews/
Option B (2 Steps):
You can also find it by clicking "Agent finder" on the main Zillow page:
Image courtesy Zillow
2.
Click on the box for languages and scroll down to your language:
Image courtesy Zillow
3.
After you've selected your language, input the location you're searching in, and click on the magnifying glass.
Image courtesy Zillow
4. Be sure to skip the "Featured Agents" at the top, as they'll typically NOT be able to speak your language.
Realtor.com (Desktop/Laptop View)
From the desktop or laptop view of Realtor.com , go to
1.
Option A (1 Step):
Go to the Find Realtors section of Realtor.com here: https://www.realtor.com/realestateagents/
Option B (2 Steps):
You can also find it by clicking "Find Realtors" on the main Realtor.com page:
Image courtesy Realtor.com
2. Enter a city or county, then click "Search":
Image courtesy Realtor.com
3. Click on "More Filters" at the top right:
Image courtesy Realtor.com
4. Go to "Additional Languages" & select a language:
Image courtesy Realtor.com
5. Click the red "Search" near the bottom right of the top bar:
Image courtesy Realtor.com
6. In this example, there weren't any options available:
Image courtesy Realtor.com
If there are options available, it might look something like the below:
Image courtesy Realtor.com
If we were to search for Spanish-speaking agents in Virginia Beach, we'd find a number:
Image courtesy Realtor.com
I would recommend adding 1 or 2 filters/sorting options. Sort (top left) by highest ratings &/or most recommendations, i.e.:
Image courtesy Realtor.com
Image courtesy Realtor.com
Check NAR's Directory
The National Association of Realtor®s has a directory of members, though keep in mind that it appears to have a lower volume of possibilities vs Realtor.com & Zillow. One of the reasons why is that the only option for filtering by city/county currently appears to be by the city/county of the agent's office, no matter if they live an hour away. On Realtor.com & Zillow, an agent can be listed in multiple cities/counties. Another reason why it has a relatively narrow scope of agents is that many agents haven't updated their information on it. If you don't find any good options in your desired cities/counties, to a state-wide search to see if some nearby cities/counties have alternatives.
Image courtesy NAR
Beware of Other Languages with Teams
In some cases, a real estate team may list 10 languages, but typically, the people that speak each of those other languages fluently aren't the main person, but other people that are on the team. The team lead may only speak 1 other language, and may be unwilling to assist certain areas in certain price ranges. If that's the case, it's important to check the qualifications and experience of the team member who speaks your language who might be assisting you personally rather than relying exclusively on the qualifications of the team or a team lead who wouldn't be your primary point of contact. A team could have over 500 reviews, while the person who speaks your language might have no reviews personally and less than 20 prior sales.
What if You Can't Find Someone Good Who Speaks Your Language?
Sometimes a real estate agent may speak your language, but might not be very experienced or very good at what they do. If you search for someone who speaks your language and are not satisfied with their level of competency, trustworthiness, or otherwise, it's a good idea to explore your alternatives. If relying on someone else's translation, it's very important that if they ever don't understand something they are honest about not understanding so that you can know exactly what is being said by the agent clarifying.
If one decision maker knows English fluently, consider translating for your other decision maker as the agent is sharing things and as you are reading documents. The decision maker can do that, or those that know the decision maker(s) can do that, such as children or good trusted friends.
Consider hiring a translator, such as someone who can join on video to translate during showings or other conversations and who can translate documents.
Reducing Cultural Conflict if You Can't Find Someone Who Speaks Your Language
Even if each decision-maker knows English fluently, clashes of culture are going to be less common when an agent knows your language. That said, there are some ways to reduce the probability of cultural clashes.
1. Find an agent with an "At Home with Diversity" Certification (which Adam has) in the city you're looking in, if there are any agents with that certification where you're looking, in adjacent cities/counties, or who otherwise include where you're looking in their coverage area, whether via Realtor.com or directly on the NAR page:
Image courtesy NAR
If looking on Realtor.com, it's best to use the desktop view, as the page on the app has a completely different setup that's not conducive to this filtering. Once on the page, click on "Add Credentials", then add AHWD:
Image courtesy https://www.realtor.com/realestateagents/
Once you have a list, I recommend sorting by most recommendations, highest ratings, or a combination of the 2:
Image courtesy Realtor.com
2. Find an agent with extensive intercultural knowledge &/or experience, such as someone with plenty of international travel experience and cross-cultural studies. For instance, someone who has studied anthropology or experienced a culture like yours could be more informed on how to best engage with you than someone else, all other factors the same.