Getting the most from your real estate agent is fairly simple. Find the right professional, stay engaged, and keep them informed to have the best buying or selling experience. (And the best results!)
A good real estate agent is essential to a successful sale or purchase. While a high-quality agent will take almost all the work off your table, here are some tips that you can use to get the most from your agent-client relationship.
Getting the Most From Your Real Estate Agent: Simple Tips for the Best Results
Tip #1: Find One that Fits Your Needs
Your agent should have the training and experience to fit your specific purchasing or sales needs. While agents can be one-size-fits-all professionals, many specialize in, or have experience with, a certain sector of the market.
For example, there are agents who are experienced in the high-end market, focusing on luxury homes that cost millions of dollars. There are agents who specialize in rural or agriculture properties, or ones that have more experience with condos and townhouses. Regardless of your specific situation, you should find an agent who can suit your needs.
Tip #2: Tell Them How You Communicate
In today’s environment, there are numerous ways to communicate. Email, texting, video chats, social media, and even the archaic practice of making a telephone call; all of these can be used by your real estate agent.
Which do you prefer? Which form of communication is best for you? Do you want a quick text, or would your prefer the agent call you to discuss new information? Let the agent know how you like to communicate and they will meet to work within your preferred style.
Tip #3:Trust Their Experience and Expertise
You hired a real estate agent so you could leverage their skills, experience, training, and overall market knowledge. Let them do their job and respect their expertise. If there is ever a disagreement, such as how to list the home or whether a certain condition should be listed on your purchase offer, it’s usually best to trust the agent’s opinion.
Suppose you are selling a property and your agent feels it would be best to slightly rearrange the furniture. For whatever reason, they feel the house would look better to buyers if the couch were moved here, the lamp there, and a coffee table in the next room. But you love your home setup, why would they change it?
In this case, they are only thinking of selling the house, and using their knowledge of home staging to increase the chances of a sale. Trust that they have the best intentions and are only using their experience to help sell the property for the best price.
Tip #4: Keep The Agent Informed
Whether you are buying or selling (or both), communication is essential to a successful client-agent relationship. Understand that communication is a two-way street; your agent should certainly be communicating with you, but you should be doing the same, especially if there are any changes to your situation.
You don’t have to call your agent every day, but keeping them informed on any changes, such as a new job or a change in the family (a new child or a child leaving for college, as examples) will help them deliver the best results. If you are searching for homes and find a potential property, send that information to the agent. Communicate with them and they will (likely) do the same.
Tip #5: Ask Questions…then Ask More Questions
When selecting an agent, you should find one that you are comfortable with, one whom you feel fully comfortable asking dozens of questions. Because you need to be asking questions. Part of your agent’s job is keeping you in the loop, helping you understand the process so you can reach the best results together. As such, you need to ask questions…lots of questions.
This is especially important if you are a first-time buyer. Purchasing a home is a massive endeavor, usually the largest purchase anyone will make. You need to be (as much as possible) fully informed on the process, so if you don’t understand any part, ask your agent.
Tip #6: Respect their Time
Time management is important to all people. This includes yourself, your coworkers, your friends and family, and (of course) your real estate agent. Be respectful of their time and keep all meetings and appointments, no matter how small.
An agent can only do their job when you keep your appointments and commitments. If they schedule a private showing at a property, you need to keep this appointment. If the showing needs to be rescheduled, it only delays the buying process, all while reducing the chances of a successful purchase. Of course, life happen and you may have to miss an appointment or meeting, but do whatever you can to respect the agent’s time and energy; show up on time, be prepared, and you’ll have the best experience.
Tip #7: Buyers, Go Over the Wishlist with Your Agent
Your real estate agent will have access to a massive list of available properties. These properties will come in all sizes, styles, and designs. They will have different prices, different features, and they will be placed all throughout your area, and beyond. It’s impossible for an agent to sort through this haystack of properties and find your perfect home if they don’t know what you’re looking for.
This is heavily tied to communication. Let you agent know what you need from a property, and tell them about a few different features or characteristics that you would prefer. If possible, put together a wants and needs list to make your search more efficient.
Tip #8: Sellers, Work with the Agent To Make Your Home Available
When selling your home, you need to be as flexible as possible. Private showings, which allow a single buyer (or family) to view the home, are important to the sales process. So too are open houses.
It’s best to be gone when they happen. Lingering in the home only hinders your sale and makes potential buyers uncomfortable. Work with your agent and be flexible so they can bring potential buyers to your house and get the best price for your property.
Have Your Pre-Qualification Ready Today!
If you are starting the process of purchasing a new property, make sure you are pre-qualified for a mortgage. Contact our team today and we’ll help you get pre-qualified or pre-approved so you are ready to make a competitive offer on your next purchase!
