When the time comes for you to sell your home and move to new pastures, you need to be confident you are working with the best estate agents for your needs. No two estate agencies work the same in attracting clients and selling homes, and their experience and personalities will dictate how they will likely go about this.
The last thing you want is to choose the first person you come across only to find down the line they don’t have your best interests at heart and aren’t helping you the way you thought they would or that you want them to.
So how do you find the right real estate agent, and what should you be looking for?
The right type of agent
While some real estate agents can sell and list homes, it might be easier to find a buyer’s agent or a listing agent, not one who deals with both. A buyers agent helps clients look for deals on new properties on the market, while a listing agent lists homes for sale on the market. While you can choose someone who represents both sides of the market, it is generally thought to be better to use a listing agent when selling your home, but you need to be confident whoever you pick has your best interests at heart.
Ask friends and family
To narrow down your search radius, you should ask your friends, family, and colleagues for agents they have used in the past and how they do and don’t recommend. This can give you more of an insight into who is out there, how they work, and what you can expect. While you might clash over some choices, of course, not everyone’s personalities will gel; you should focus on the quality of the world and the efforts put in by the agent rather than other factors.
Make a shortlist
Always meet with at least 3 agents and talk to them personally before making your decision. Never feel strong-armed into saying yes to the first person you speak to. They will understand the game and know what you are, so be clear about this and choose the person you feel will be able to help you better and make you feel more comfortable.
Ask the right questions
When you are meeting with real estate agents, you should make sure you are asking the right questions and looking in the right places for your answers. You can do your homework by contacting your state to check they are incensed and looking at the number of listings they have and how much their properties are selling for, as well as the average time on the market; you can find it out online.
But you also need to be asking them the right questions when you meet them.
- What is their knowledge of the area and type of home you are looking to buy?
- How can they help you, and what work will they be putting in?
- Will they be representing you or do they have both buyers and sellers to negotiate with, meaning they are looking out for others’ interests too?
- Find out if you will be working with the agent directly or if they have an assistant who you will be dealing with and look for answers on how they manage their cases and especially if they have a lot of listings or clients; how will they find the time to look after you too?
Ask for references
You are within your rights to ask for references from previous clients in the past 12 months. You can find out more from these references about how each client felt about their dealings with the real estate agent and what they thought of the process. What did and didn’t go well, what do they think could have been done better, and would they use them again for a future property purchase? All of this is valuable information and should play a part in deciding who to represent you.
Finding a real estate agent can be a lengthy and time-consuming process; however, it is worth doing it correctly to ensure that you are finding the right person for the job. Whether you are buying or selling your home, you want your agent to be in your corner fighting for the best deal for you to get you a quick and easy sale at the highest possible price. Take your time, do your due diligence, and make sure you are making the right decisions.