Choosing a real estate agent can be one of the most stressful parts of selling your home. Who should you use? Will they be trustworthy and reliable? How do you protect yourself from unscrupulous agents?
Here’s our guide on how to find the best agent for when you decide to sell your home.
- Phone a friend
Do you know someone who has recently bought or sold a property? Ask friends and family for recommendations (and who to avoid!). A shout out on Facebook or social media can also provide some good recommendations and link you straight through to some very good agents.
- Check out online
Visit one of the real estate portals and see what’s for sale in your suburb, and the agencies and agents who are selling properties similar to yours. From there, you’ll be able to view the profiles of agents and get a feel for how they present themselves and the properties they’re marketing. If you like what you see, make a note of their names and do some further research on them in Facebook and LinkedIn.
- Attend an open
What better way to see your potential agent in action than by attending an open for inspection that they are holding for one of their current vendors? Does the agent greet you at the door with a smile? Are they friendly and approachable? Are they genuinely interested in your property search? Tell the agent that you’re a local and just wanted to check the place out to see how they handle you. Getting insight into the agent’s ability to follow up is key. As a vendor, you want your agent working every lead and potential buyer to get the best price for your property and to know the motivations of those who are looking at your home to help with the negotiation. So most importantly, do they conduct a follow up call a few days after the open?
- Attend an auction
If auctions are big in your area, attend some auctions held by the agents you are interested in. Observe how they run the auction and how they manage bidders. Who do they use as an auctioneer? How professionally does the event go, are vendors bids used and does the property sell at auction? Even if the property passes in at auction, watching how the agents handle the post auction can be highly informative.
- Know what you’re looking for
Overall you’re looking for an agent who is genuinely interested in your circumstances, who listens to what you’re looking for and is helpful, polite, likeable and communicative. You also want someone who is proud to represent you as their vendor and get the best deal for you. Most of all, you want someone who listens and treats you respectfully. Armed with all your research, it pays to now create a list of questions you can use as part of your agent interview.
- Conduct an interview
Once you have found two or three agents whose behaviour is the best, invite them in to give you a listing presentation or property appraisal. Notice how they handle themselves. Are they “selling” to you, or are they genuinely listening and responding to your queries? What sales method do they use? Use your questions to make sure you have consistent information upon which you can make your final decision. But most importantly, take a read of the agent. Do you like them? Remember, you could be in daily contact with this person for the next month or three – you need someone who you feel you can trust and who you believe will do a great job selling your most valuable asset.