Whether you are buying or selling your home, the process requires energy, patience, and experience in the real estate industry. Most people often seek the services of a real estate agency to ensure that the process goes smoothly.
With so much value attached to the property, you can’t select any real estate agent. It is recommended that you hire a trusted and experienced professional who can guide you through the buying/ selling process.
In this post, you’ll learn how to confidently choose a real estate agent.
Hiring the Right Real Estate Agent
When looking for a real estate agent you should look for someone with local experience and industry knowledge. But you also want to ensure that you find someone that you trust. Buying and selling homes is a stressful and emotional process so you want to find someone who will have you back every step of the way.
Here are some things to look for when hiring an agent:
Full-time Agents
Many part-time real estate agents in Regina are great at what they do. But the difference between a part-time and full-time agent is the convenience and availability they offer. If you’re needing to buy or sell a home relatively quickly a part-time agent might not be able to meet those time constraints.
A full-time agent, however, will work with your schedule and be more available to answer your questions throughout the process.
Local Expertise
You should only hire an agent who knows the area and its neighbourhoods like the back of their hands. You want someone who has interacted with the area and knows its dynamics. Their experience can come in handy when negotiating the best price for your property or advising you on neighbourhoods to buy in.
Agents You Click With
Your real estate agent is your representative. For you to close on a property, you must be on the same page in terms of prices, ideal property, and other pertinent issues. This requires some level of coordination and communication.
When you find an agent that understands your wants and needs the home buying/ selling process is made easy. What’s more, when you have this connection you can feel more confident in your decisions when buying/ selling your home.
Someone Who Offers Advice
Your real estate agent should be in a position to offer changes, suggestions, or advice that will make the buying or selling process easier. The best agents in the business will offer you sound advice, based on their experience to ensure that you find the right home or sell for a great price.
Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent
Truth be told, buying a property will be one of the most significant investments of your life. Therefore, it’s important to choose the right real estate agent. Here are some questions you should ask a potential real estate agent:
How much experience do you have?
In a typical interview, the experience would refer to how long the particular individual has been in the business. But this isn’t the only way to see a real estate agent's experience. To better gauge, an agent’s experience, test their knowledge of the local market and the price of homes compared to your property.
Before the interview, do some research on your local housing market as well as on the area's economic performance. As you interact with the agent, gauge their answers. If they have many years of experience and can prove that they understand the market and stay up-to-date on any changes to it then this is a sign that you can trust the agent with your time and money.
What does your marketing plan look like?
Don’t receive a one-paragraph answer for this question. Expect a detailed breakdown of what your agent is going to do. The plan should include creative and tested solutions that will make your property stand out from others on the market.
Thanks to the internet and developments in technology, digital marketing is a crucial part of the marketing process. The agent should have web listings that use high-resolution images and video tours to advertise the property. A good real estate agent will know how to market your property in ways to attracts plenty of buyers.
What is your commission rate?
Generally speaking, real estate agents typically charge around 6% in commission. This is divided between the buyer’s agent and the sales agent. The commission is however not set in stone. You can bring out your negotiation skills and get the best price possible.
In the negotiations, inquire about the budget and any sales-related expenses that the agent will be required to pay.
Can you provide any references?
This is one that many homeowners or to-be purchasers forget. Once you get the names of previous clients, reach out and ask about the quality of services that you can expect from the agent. An agent with plenty of satisfied clients is one you can trust.
In Conclusion
Finding a trust worth real estate agent is so important when looking to buy or sell a home. If you’re looking for a trusted real estate agent, teach out to Jennica George and book an appointment today!
