Investing a little time is definitely worth the effort since selecting the right estate agent may be the difference between a stress-free and unpleasant move. How, do you go about hiring the best estate agent? If this is your first time selling, where do you begin?
This guide will take you through the process step by step procedure of choosing the Right Real Estate Agent.
Let’s Get Started.
Consider word of mouth:
Referrals from friends and family are priceless, both for the agent and the customer who hears about them. Pick up the phone and find out how their experience with their agents was if someone you know and trust recently moved.
Do some Research:
Even while word of mouth is a great place to begin, you should still conduct some independent research. You’re asking for problems if you completely rely on someone else’s advice, and you’ll kick yourself later if something goes wrong.
Once more, the Internet is of great assistance. These days, you may quickly read online reviews on Google’s search results pages.
Be careful to go through and read the reviews rather than just looking at the statistics since you shouldn’t just accept things at face value. Verify that they are coming from actual clients and not from a bot seeking to improve the reputation of an agent.
Other questionable activities exist, some of which are less evident but are still important to be aware of. For instance, a certain online estate agent—who will not be designated reviews at the time of sale rather than at the completion of the deal. You may probably anticipate why that would be the case.
Check accreditation:
Another technique to learn more about an agent’s methods of operation is to look into their credentials. Even though we would want to see the government impose stronger rules on estate agents (and letting agents, too), we take very serious approach to uphold industry standards and train our team.
Unfortunately, some agents aren’t quite as motivated by ethics.
There are several methods you may use to verify certification. Check the agent’s website first to see if you can find any proof of their affiliation with industry giants and regulatory agencies.
Make a shortlist:
Making a shortlist now that you’ve finished your preliminary research is essential. We won’t go on too much about this step because it is rather simple and self-explanatory.
However, you must keep in mind that your shortlist must include at least three agencies and ideally five. When you go to the next step, this will help you understand how they compare.
Make a call to them:
It’s time to check their responsiveness now that you have your shortlist in place. Make a call to your agents and request a valuation. You can learn a lot about how those agents work from just one phone call.
You’ll first be able to assess how accessible and open they are. Even though this may not seem like a deal-breaker, its significance quickly becomes clear when you realize that you may be dealing with these individuals for weeks or even months.
Second, by how quickly they’re willing to get in the car and go to your door for a valuation, you may determine how much your business means to them. Although there may occasionally be a slight delay, especially if the agent is well-known and in demand in your region, you shouldn’t ever feel ignored or taken full advantage of.
Visit their Office:
You should now think about visiting the offices of the final two estate agents on your list to observe how they conduct business there.
The warning signs in this case are simple: Is their workplace nice? Do they seem well-organized? How many employees do they employ? Do they all seem to be busy? Are they friendly and willing to assist?
Before you make a choice, be sure you’ve met the entire staff. Agents frequently bring their best performers to appraisals as a display of force, but they frequently have little in the way of backroom assistance. Who will be available to respond to your questions if an agent’s manager spends their entire day evaluating properties?
