Whether you’re buying or selling, leasing or a landlord, when you choose a real estate agent, you’re putting an important part of your livelihood in their hands. Finding the right mix of professionalism, friendly personality and someone you’ll enjoy working with is no easy feat. But when it comes down to it, there are three key tenets to any agent and buyer/seller match made in heaven.
1. Make sure you’re both on the same page
From your very first meeting with any potential real estate agents, your goals should be clearly aligned. You can achieve this with clear communication from the get-go; and this works both ways.
Outline exactly what it is you want your agent to help you achieve, whether that’s a sale price or important property criteria. But also listen to the advice they give you. Real estate agents are professionals in their industry, and if your agent thinks that your budget is too low for what you want in a home, or your desired sale price is too high, take their opinion into consideration. A good agent won’t be afraid to tell you when something needs to change.
Likewise, make sure your agent clearly understands your aims as a buyer, seller or landlord and the things you will and won’t compromise on. If the real estate agent you’re talking to says they can’t deliver, but won’t give you a reason why, it’s time to look elsewhere.
2. Know their history
Professional real estate agents will often offer this without you even having to ask. It’s important to find an agent who has experience in both the local area you are interested in, as well as with properties in your price range.
You can suss out an agent’s history at your first meeting with them by asking a few key questions. These can include how long they have worked as a real estate agent, what their experience is in the area, and how many recent, similar sales they have closed. This will all of course depend on your individual circumstances, but if you’re looking to sell your home or buy your dream house, you can’t afford to settle for second best.
3. Are they in demand?
Popular agents won’t be hard to find, but they may not be terribly available. An in-demand real estate agent could be either a blessing or a curse. On the one hand, you know that they have a great track record. But on the other hand, they could be spread far too thinly to devote enough time to your property sale or house hunt.
Find the right balance between a real estate agent who comes highly recommended, and one who still has the time and energy to spare. Burning the candle at both ends doesn’t make for quality services, no matter what the industry.
How to choose a real estate agent is a by no means a simple process. But once you find an agent who understands and supports your property goals, has a reputable and reliable history, as well as enough availability, you’ll be on the right track to realising your real estate dreams.
Ready to meet your dream agent? Get in touch with some of the best real estate agents Queensland (Australia) has to offer.
At Your Address Real Estate, we aim to deliver the highest level of service to our clients and to provide the ultimate place of employment, encouraging staff to succeed and grow with the company. We are a team of committed, dedicated professionals who understand that client satisfaction is the only true measure of success.
celine says
That’s the sort of “give-and-take” with finding a popular real estate agent with them never being available since they’re sought after most often. Honestly, I’d prefer a real estate agent that’s not super busy with other home buyers so they can focus on our situation of finding a place that suits us. Your second paragraph in the third section definitely described that “sweet-spot” with finding a real estate agent with enough fuel to serve your needs, while being reputable enough to be known and to have experience. Thanks so much for describing exactly how I should look for my real estate agent!
Kenneth Gladman says
I agree it can be hard to find the right real estate agent, when the reputable ones are very sought after. I think it is valuable to find an agent that can really focus on your needs and not just rush you into a home. When we bought our home we had time to look at many different options before making a decision. It was a great process.
Hazel Owens says
I like your tip to get to know your real estate agent’s history. Like you said, it’s nice to find someone who has experience both in your area and in the kind of properties you want. Looking at their most recent jobs can go a long way to learning how successful they can be with your circumstance. Thanks for the article.
Vivian Black says
My husband and I are looking to find a real estate agent to help us buy our first home. I liked the advice to make sure you and your real estate agent’s goals are “clearly aligned.” The advice to ask a few key questions such as how long they have worked and what areas they have experience in was also helpful and smart.
Silas Knight says
Using a real estate agent is a must when dealing with real estate. At least, it is for me, as I know nothing about the housing market. You have some great advice here for finding the right agent, I especially like the point about knowing their history. Interviewing them before hiring them is a great tip.
Lora says
Great article.. Thnaks for sharing this
Greg says
Whether we are a buyer or seller, we want to choose an agent who is actively working in the business, full-time. I think he or she should be following the market every day, and should be engaged with clients about the state of the industry.
Vern C. Tan says
Dear
Thank you for these great tips they are really influential. In addition of what you have written,
A real professional agent must have an experience that let him close more than 2 properties in a year. An additional step you can take is to do a small research about this agent from a relative or a friend but that’s only for knowing the impression of this agent on others.
Best Regards,
Vern
Skyrealre says
Hi,
Its fantastic to see your post!!
Its good to remember some things in your mind.
If you are hiring the agent to do the buying or selling for you, you might want to keep in mind that you can treat the selection process as if you’re hiring an employee in a company. Ask about the agent’s background and his plan to make sure that he will do a good job of buying or selling real estate for you.
Ask the agent directly about the strategy he’ll use to help you. For instance, if you’re planning to buy a house, you need to know how he’ll search for properties and if you’ll have any competition.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful post!!
Regards
Skyrealre
Pearlie S.Gilligan says
Hi,
I really like your post!
It is quite informative and useful..I would like to add something more!
Building a money making machine first starts with making quick money in real estate. Once you learn that you will know how to buy real estate the right way. From there all you have to do is hold it for cash flow for the rest of your life!
The final strategy I use to buy real estate extremely cheap from distressed sellers. Buying cheap through properties in pre-foreclosure is a tremendous opportunity.
There are so many ways to make money in real estate. Many people have a hard time finding which way fit’s them the best. Some people like to stick to one strategy, others like a lot of different strategies.
Thanks for being sharing.. Keep sharing more!
Regards
Pearlie S.Gilligan
William Lyons says
Hi,
Great post! I strongly agree with your points! Real estate might be too risky but everything invested will surely pay off and yeah, You can definitely earn without doing much work if you hire real estate agent.
Real estate agents bring together two or more interested parties, perform those steps necessary to successfully conclude a transaction and charge a commission for their services.
For sales transactions, they charge commission to the seller while for rentals, commission is typically charged the landlord.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards
William Lyons
William Lyons recently posted…What Is Probate?
David A. Sellers says
Hi buddy,
I read your post and it is very informative and I love this post. You explain each and every point in very good manner.
I would like to share something that it’s a sad fact, but many people don’t check-out their agent until after they have signed with them – by then it’s too late. After you sign you’re stuck; you could be locked into a ‘minimum 90 day’ contract. So be very careful while choosing real estate agent.
And thanks for sharing this post with us and please keep sharing more post.
Warm Regards
David A. Sellers
Christina says
Your point about how busy good real estate agents are often busy is a valid one. Finding that ideal balance between popular and available is not always easy.
James Bone says
When you walk into a prospective real estate office, ask yourself whether you would feel proud or embarrassed to bring your clients there. You will often be meeting your buyer clients at your office before showing them properties, and you will probably return there to complete paperwork if they want to buy one of the properties you showed them.
Rachel Lannister says
In the article you wrote that when you meet with a real estate agent, you should outline exactly what you want to achieve with them. My brother is planning on moving, and he needs help locating homes in good areas, and with enough room for his family. I’ll advise that he find an agent who is good at communicating, so that he can easily communicate exactly what he wants. Thanks for the read.
Lucy Gibson says
Pauline, I like your tip about asking a potential real estate professional if they’ve had similar sales that they’ve closed. Making sure they’re familiar with the local market and have experience seems like a great indication that they’ll be successful at selling your home or help you find one. My husband and I are looking to sell our smaller house and find a larger place for our growing family.
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