Choosing a Real Estate Agent

Selling your home or investment property is a big deal!  It’s something most people will only do a few times in their life and many sellers find it quite daunting – particularly if they have never done it, or haven’t sold for quite some time.  I therefore thought I’d put together a few ideas for you in what to ask of agents that you interview for the job and also what to look for in an agent that’s right for you.

• Were they on time, or worst case, if they were a few minutes late did they at least call you to advise this?
• What was your first impression?  Were they well presented, did they greet you with a welcoming smile.  This is important as it’s an indicator of how they’ll greet buyers too.
• Once you’ve narrowed down the agent/s attend one of their open homes to see how they present the home and themselves.  How are they greeting buyers?  Is the home as well presented as it could be (lights on, curtains open, air con/heating on if necessary, music etc.)
• You need to work with someone you trust and feel comfortable with.  You might meet someone who is an award winning agent – but how do you feel about them?
• How well do they listen to your needs?
• What is their follow up like.  A great agent is great at follow up, but doesn’t annoy you either.

Some questions to ask/note:

• How did they arrive at the estimated range or price they’ve given you (did they show you comparisons)
• Why should you give your home to them to sell?
• What is their average days on market (last month we were 18 days)
• What is their clearance rate (% of properties they sell that they list)
• How would they market the home & what is the cost – how will each item benefit the campaign?
• What selling method would you recommend and why?
• Do you have any references I can contact?
• What makes you and your company different to other agencies?

At the end of the day you need to feel comfortable with their answers and how they approach selling your property, asking some challenging questions will give you an insight how they will work under pressure with buyers too.

Good luck, and please feel welcome to contact Malcolm or any of the team if you need any real estate advice or you are thinking of selling.