Top Five Things To Look For When Hiring A Real Estate Agent
If you plan to buy or sell a house, working with a realtor from your area will ensure that you get the best deal. Real estate agents possess the right connections and have the required knowledge, which makes it easy for them to initiate real estate transactions that work in your favor.
However, when it comes to choosing an agent, you want to make sure you select someone who knows their field and also focuses on your investment goals. After all, you’re about to make the biggest transaction of your life, and you definitely want it to work out as planned.
If you aren’t sure how to go about looking for the right professional for your needs, here’s a list of the top five things to look for when hiring a real estate agent.
1. Experience.
Based on the amount of professional experience a real estate agent has, you can determine how well they can help you. Besides gaining experience in years, agents can also be gain experience from the number of transactions they do. For example, if a realtor does eight to twelve transactions a year for fifteen years, they have an average of a hundred and fifty deals in that time frame. On the other hand, if an agent does over fifty transactions a year for five years, that agent will have more experience than the previous one.
Another critical factor to judge the experience of a realtor is based on their knowledge. Real estate is complex, but experienced real estate agents will be able to easily explain this subject through the knowledge they’ve gained over time. This can either be from books and encounters with actual estate sales, foreclosure processes, easements, rights of way, real estate divorce sales, streams, and fisheries, above ground and below ground oil storage tanks and complications and potential liabilities, and much more. At the same time, an agent with sufficient real estate knowledge will protect you against bad purchases and faulty transactions.
2. Availability.
To ensure you’ve hired a dependable agent, you need to make sure that they are available to you when you need them. When you call your agent, you should be able to speak with them directly or get an appointment immediately. Busy agents may not be reachable when you need their assistance the most. For this reason, it is essential to take note of the difficulties faced when reaching out to an agent. When an agent answers your call, text, or email directly and in a timely fashion (not through a second or third party), it is a good sign.
An agent’s availability also means that they have your listing available for potential buyers and are responding to them when they have inquiries about your listed property. By doing this, buyers will see your listing as a top-class listing that’s available. Similarly, as a buyer, you want your real estate agent to be available when you spot a listing that offers a great deal. An available agent can take a look at the property immediately and write an offer before anyone else has the opportunity.
3. Marketing.
Hire an agent who has a plan to market your home professionally to potential buyers. You can invite many agents to have a one on one comparative market analysis on your home to value what it is worth. Ask them to explain and show you what they are going to do to market your home. They should have an action plan designed based on the market and your goals along with a plan to get your home ready for the market. Having multiple agents do this will help you find the one that is the right fit for you and your property.
4. Integrity and honesty.
Real estate agents make a living by selling homes, which is their occupation. But, while doing their jobs, there shouldn’t be an instance where earning a commission is a bigger priority than helping you, the client. Honesty, integrity, and following through on promises are crucial qualities for an agent to possess. At the same time, you need to feel 100% comfortable with them throughout the buying, selling, or investing process. Which means, your agent should be working with your best interests in mind from start to finish. The mindset of quality service and commission will naturally follow suit.
5. Reviews.
Remember to ask your friends and family who they have used and trusted as an agent. Look up these agents and read the reviews of their previous clients online. Read not only the rating but also the experience of each client. Make a note of whether it was just a star review or if the client expressed genuine appreciation for the service received. Your aim should be to identify tried and trusted services that were successful for other clients and likely to be successful for you as well.
If you’re looking for an experienced and reliable realtor in Chilliwack, BC, reach out to Serena Laye Personal Real Estate Corporation. I’ve been in this business for four years, and I am well-recognized for my efforts within my brokerage. My utmost priority as a real estate agent is your goals and dreams. I love helping people with their homeownership dreams, and many of my clients have become lifelong friends. This has earned me ample referrals and my fair share of success over the years whether I’m helping people buy, sell, or invest in real estate.
Moreover, if you are curious about your property’s worth or what a tried and tested marketing plan looks like, please give me a call, and I will be happy to share what I do differently to get homes sold for top dollar!
To learn more about the services I offer, please click here. To get in touch with me, please click here.