If I were to move to a new location where I wasn’t familiar with the area, the neighborhoods, the schools, and I had a million questions…I would hire the BEST real estate agent I could find and I would use the crap out of them. The best real estate agent is not always the one that sells the most, or has been doing it the longest. It is the one that LISTENS, and takes the time to explain things. Someone that cares more about YOU than about just the sale. You might think I am talking about a UNICORN. Not true! There are lots of agents that will put you first, you just have to make the effort to find them! This is an important relationship and the more time you invest in it, the better job that agent can do for YOU.
Things to look for when you are looking for YOUR agent.
HONESTY: Your agent should be honest with you at all times. Honesty isn’t always the easiest thing to hear, or even what you WANT to hear at a certain time, but you want someone that will tell you the WHOLE truth all the time. You don’t want someone that won’t mention their concerns, or things that they know about a certain neighborhood, or even that new light fixtures will increase your marketability and possibly even your sale’s price. Honesty is needed if you have become “nose blind” to a certain smell in your home, and your agent should have the guts to tell you about it, and offer suggestions on how to make it go away. An agent’s honesty is always for your benefit…they know you might not want to hear it…but they SHOULD tell you if they are doing their job well.
TIME: You don’t want to feel like your questions aren’t important enough to ask your agent because they are always so busy. A good agent will not take on more clients than they can handle at a certain time, or they will have hired people to help them so their time can be dedicated to doing the important tasks, like answering your questions. Of course your agent will not always be available to you. There will be other clients they are working with , and meetings and classes they must attend to stay on top of everything they need to know. But if it takes days for a phone call back, or an email response…that might make you feel like you don’t matter…and you should always feel you matter to your agent.
KNOWLEDGE: Your agent should know the area you are looking to buy or sell in, and so can advise you appropriately. I would want someone that was comfortable giving me a list of benefits off the top of their head about a certain neighborhood, and its drawbacks too. If they are new to the business, or even to the area, they should have a team that is helping them…so someone is double checking their work to make sure you are getting the best service, or is there to answer questions. Effort goes a long way, if an agent is new to the area themselves, they will know what surprised them with this new location,and you will have access to someone that can understand what you are experiencing. Or if they are a new agent the effort and enthusiasm can be way more than someone that has been doing this for decades. Make sure your agent is open to learning and makes efforts to stay on top of their local market, and the business. I can tell you even after 15 years doing this full time, I still have so much more to learn, and spend a significant amount of time every month pursuing new knowledge.
PATIENCE: As a buyer, you might want to look in a different area than you first thought, or you might change your mind about looking for a house with a pool. These are normal changes that happen for lots of buyers. Find an agent that understand the process and won’t roll their eyes and sigh loudly when you change your mind. “Buyers are liars” is a common term in real estate…and what that really means is buyers change their minds. Patience is also needed to sell a home…patience to help you go through your home to make suggestions for preparing it for the market, and patience for you to make those changes before you are ready to list your home. Patience with you when you need to vent about your frustrations and challenges. Also, they need to have patience FOR you, the waiting periods can be a test in patience…so you may need someone to help you in this area.
CONNECTION: You should have a connection with this person. This is something that is innate and can’t be controlled by you, or the agent. You might know you have a connection right away, or it might be something that happens over time, but you should like your agent, and feel like the feeling is mutual. You should know your agent understands you…gets you. Not someone that follows a script or isn’t being real with you. Not someone that wants to plop you into a one size fits all situation. You know you are unique! Your buying and/or selling experience should be unique to your needs and wants too!
Work with an agent that listens and asks questions…not someone that only talks about themselves and their accomplishments. An agent should want to find you the BEST house for you and your family, or sell your house under the BEST terms for you and and your family. The agent will only know what is best for YOU by listening to YOU, and your questions, and researching options for you. Real estate, the profession, is about people. Make sure you work with someone that understands this and gives you confidence that you are the best hands.
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