Real estate is a big business. The value of most properties appreciates over time. As properties become more expensive, real estate agents take a larger sum of commission. Since it’s highly profitable when you know how to market a property effectively, many have chosen this career path.
With countless agents to choose from, the competition among them remains tight. All of them would offer you promises, great deals and claim that they’re too good to pass up. But really, who among them could live up to the expectations they’ve set? It’s hard to tell, right? This is why it’s challenging to choose the right agent you can trust.
Are there some things you can do though to make the challenge less daunting? We’ve rounded up some tips to help you out.
1. Know the track record of the agent.
It takes years of experience to master a certain profession. While that is true, do not focus so much on those 10 or 15 years of experience. Rather, find out what significant things they did for their clients and their company itself throughout those years that made them stay that long in the industry. For example, if I was looking for a real estate agent to help to sell my house fast, it’s not just about the years they’ve spent in the business, but also about their track record of successful sales. After all, it’s neither about the quantity of the work they’ve handled nor the years they’ve spent in the real estate world. It’s about the quality of their service.
To know their track record better, search for online reviews and ask about client references. Through those conversations with their past clients as well as online reviews, you’ll also get some insights on what areas of the real estate business they specialize in.
Check out this related article that talks about ways to find a qualified real estate agent.
2. Go for someone who knows the local area and its market very well.
This is particularly important when you need to move to a new location that you’re not very familiar with. What you read online about a certain town is just an overview of what it’s all about. Nothing beats the knowledge of a local expert who has lived there for quite some time already—someone who understands the behaviour of real estate market prices well and knows how to interpret and communicate it to their clients.
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You’d get valuable insights even on smaller details such as which shops near your future home offer the best grocery deals or which shops offer cheaper goods. Even some fun facts such as where to get the best pizza are included! So, how about that? Maybe less serious for some, but good-to-know details for most!
3. Get to know the agent’s availability.
It takes time to come up with a listing of properties that’s based on a client’s personal taste, needs, and expectations. The challenge that confronts real estate agents is that they need to consider their clients as individuals who have different preferences. That would make an agent’s work schedule really crazy. So, right from the start, know your agent’s availability. How much time can he dedicate to work with you? Which days of the week? Can he really pay attention to your personal taste, needs, and expectations? Can you call him anytime or should you set a constant schedule for that?
4. Gauge the agent’s integrity.
The fat commission can just be all that’s in the mind of some agents. But hey, we’re not generalizing everyone. It’s normal to think about the salary. After all, it’s how they make a living. Take note though that it’s important that agents should strike the right balance between their own financial needs and their client’s needs.
What do we mean by that…?
They won’t ever force their clients to choose a property over the other just because they will get a bigger commission when it’s sold. Worse still, is when an agent knows some serious weaknesses and flaws of a property and deliberately withholds those facts from their clients just to close the deal. Steer clear from those agents and do your own research so you can get the best out of your hard-earned money.
To know more about what real estate agents do not tell you, you can go to this link.
Working with a credible and trustworthy agent for your housing needs is very helpful especially when you need to find a property as soon as possible. With those tips highlighted above, find the right one now.
