Choosing a Realtor to Sell Your Home
Choosing a real estate agent can be difficult, especially when you have decided to move from one city or town you have lived in for many years. The questions that arise are: How do I know if the realtor knows what they are doing? What makes them qualified? Do they know the area well enough to represent me and get the best deal possible?
Their knowledge and experience determine a real estate agents. As a seller, it is vital that they have a firm grasp on their local market and which buyers would be interested in your property. The more buyers the realtor has access to, the more likely you will sell your home on time and for the highest price possible.
Professional
A professional real estate agent is organized and detailed-oriented because their business is all about information gathering. Information gathering, such as inspections of properties listed for sale, should be done regularly so that no property slips through the cracks.
The agent should also have an advanced understanding of marketing principles and practices since they need to keep up with social media trends while attracting buyers to your property. They must negotiate contracts between themselves and sellers while keeping track of deadlines and other legalities involved in completing a sale.
In general, a professional real estate agent should be able to provide you with the right advice and information needed for making significant decisions on your home.
Local Knowledge
A good realtor will know all about available properties in the area, which is very important since they are trying to sell yours. They must understand how much comparable homes are selling for, where they are located, and what special features they might have to attract potential buyers.
He or she must also know about school boundaries because more families want to move into pleasant school zones. This makes it easier to price competitively if there isn’t a lot of inventory on the market currently or if more new construction homes are coming soon.
Organization and Attention to Detail
If your salesperson is disorganized, all of the information they gather will be unorganized too. Their knowledge will be out of date, and they may miss things that could affect the sale of your homes, such as nearby construction or other issues on their list that don’t apply anymore.
He or she must also document everything from showing requests, open houses, buyers’ offers, contractors’ inspections, etc. A good agent should always show properties logically, with pertinent information highlighted, so the potential buyer does not lose interest while viewing homes.
Good Connections
A professional real estate agent knows who the best tradespeople are in town so they can assist their clients with any repairs or renovations that need to be made before selling.
They will also have contacts in the legal industry if there is a problem with the contract between buyer and seller that needs resolution, which could save you time and money by finding competent lawyers easily.
Lastly, most buyers use real estate agents when they purchase homes, so having an agent with connections is beneficial when it comes time for you to buy your new home too!
Grooming
First impressions count! Let your potential client know you mean business. If you’re not dressed and presentable, no one wants to hire you or work with you.
It doesn’t matter what your gender is. If you don’t look good, people will assume that your work isn’t outstanding either. But if you look professional, people have more confidence in your abilities. It’s tough to sell someone on an idea or service when they aren’t willing to listen because of how you look, no matter how great the content!
If nothing else, remember this one thing. It’s called first impressions for a reason. People judge you by how you look before they even give your ideas a chance.
Technology
A good realtor needs to know about the newest technologies in the business, such as email, text messaging, and websites that promote listings for sale quickly. They need to understand the importance of utilizing all available marketing avenues to attract buyers from across the country.
Many websites also look for homes, making internet advertising important when selling your property. If your realtor doesn’t have an online presence through sites like Facebook and Yelp, then not only do they lack clients, but potential clients will find out about them and take their services elsewhere!
Lastly, if the agent does not use all social media outlets to market homes, there is a good chance they are not marketing your home accurately, which means you will have to do most of the work yourself.
Pros and Cons of Hiring a Real Estate Team
There are both pros and cons to working with a real estate team. The good news is that, as a consumer, you have the option to determine how much risk you’re willing to take on.
As you begin your real estate journey, understanding what’s at stake will help you make an informed decision about whether or not buying with a team is right for you.
The Pros
Working with an experienced real estate agent (or agents) can be highly beneficial because they can navigate the highly competitive world of commercial real estate far easier than their competitors.
By coordinating information among different agents within their company, they also act as an asset to brokers who work alone, giving them more opportunities to work with clients individually.
It’s not uncommon for estate agents to work in teams, even in the commercial real estate industry. Many well-respected realtors would be considered part of a “team” if they worked at different firms. This is referred to as the “whole team concept.”
The Cons
Although you may be taking advantage of the expertise that comes from working with an entire team, it can also take longer for important decisions to get made due to the many people involved who have differing opinions on how best to proceed.
There are pros and cons when it comes time to negotiate leases or purchase contracts. When you’re trying to get something done quickly, this can feel burdensome because so many people have to come together to agree on the right path.
Knowing who your working with can be very important when negotiating a contract. Is it the sales person who you signed the contact with for listing your home or is it their assistant or partner. Sometimes you will not know which rep is showing your property.
In addition, not every real estate agent is as well versed in commercial leases as they are with residential ones. Commercial leases can be complex and challenging to understand if you don’t have a background in them or any experience reading them.
Although hiring a real estate team can be beneficial in many ways, at the end of the day working with an individual may yield better results over time.
Reporting to the Home Seller
A realtor must be very proactive when selling a property because if all of their clients do nothing, it will be difficult for them to sell anything! A successful Realtor keeps in touch with their client, frequently documenting everything on paper.
They may send emails daily or send texts listing any showings that take place while also reporting back after each show who had an interest in buying your property, how long they looked at it, and some background information on them.
It is essential to know how many people are interested in seeing your home, what exactly they like about it (be specific because personal tastes vary), and if there has been any interest expressed in making an offer.
Lastly, depending on how active the market is in your area sending a monthly or weekly report to the homeowner is very important because it shows them that the realtor keeps them up to date with the feedback for buyer agents and their clients..
Experience
Real estate agents come in all varieties with different skill sets, so homeowners need to find someone specializing in their budget and geographic location. Some agents have years of experience, while others recently passed their formal training courses after being hired by a real estate company or brokerage firm.
It is good practice to choose someone with experience in the neighborhood you are looking to sell in because they will understand comparable home values and know exactly what needs to be done to get your property sold within the desired time frame.