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It does not matter if you’re planning to sell your house, or are shopping for one, choosing a competent real estate agent is more important than you think. While the right person can help to make the process a breeze, the wrong one can leave your dreams in tatters. If you have plans to sell or buy property, here are five tips to remember:
It is crucial for the agent to know the real estate market in your neighbourhood. Long before the days of the internet, real estate was a local business. The agent knew almost everybody by name. They were involved with community activities, knew who’s selling and who’s interested in buying. Things haven’t changed much; agents are still required to know everything about the neighbourhood. They know the price range that houses are selling in the area, the number of deals that close, gossip about upcoming projects, etc.
You cannot expect the real estate agent to be always available to answer your questions. But it’s important for them to reply within a reasonable time frame. You don’t want to be chasing them for updates. Speak to the agent’s recent clients – they’re the best people to clear your doubts.
More often than not, you need a third person’s honest opinion to help you sell your house. For example, you may be very proud of the memorabilia and artefacts you’ve collected over the years, but it takes a forthright agent to tell that they’re not going to help you sell the house. Choose agents who tell you what you need to hear, and not what you want to hear. The people pleasers are either inexperienced or are incompetent and desperate for a sale.
Those glitzy advertisements on billboards, TV, and newspapers aren’t always the best resources when looking for real estate agent. If only they were as good as they claim to be, they wouldn’t need to advertise their business. Not to say, this applies to everyone who advertises but keep your options open.
