What Qualities Should You Expect From Your Agent?

There are several important qualities you should expect of a good agent when it comes to selling your home.
If they don’t have these qualities, they might not be right for you.

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What should you expect when working with a real estate agent?

A lot of people can say they’re an agent and can help you buy or sell a house, but it’s important that you get a good feel for your agent because there’s a lot of money at stake when working with them. There are certain qualities you must look for in your agent.

The first and most important quality is honesty, whether it’s good news or bad news. As someone who cares about her clients, I know what it’s like be in difficult situations and have to address topics where there might be some disagreement, like the home’s price or condition. You really have to work with your agent and find out if they’re being truthful with you.

In the past, I’ve done market evaluations on specific homes with other agents who preferred to price those homes $100,000 higher than me. That’s exactly the kind of thing a seller wants to hear, but what happens if you go with that price and, six months later, you’re back at the price the honest agent had said?

Next, you need to make sure your agent has experience with multiple transactions. I’ve done hundreds of deals, and with each one, I learn something new. However, I also want to foresee problems before they occur, so ask your agent how many transactions they’ve done. Of course, there are many good agents who don’t have a lot of experience, but that’s something you should know about early on.

Also, you need to know whether your agent is a team player. Do they want your house to sell quickly and for top dollar as much as you? Are they fully committed and doing the things they say they’re going to do?

Speaking of teamwork, you need to know if your agent is working by themselves or has a team behind them. In this industry, there’s a lot of things we have to do to list and sell a house. Does your agent have their own support system, and are they communicating with you and accessible? Communication is an important part of your overall teamwork.

Lastly, your agent needs to understand the market. I don’t mean just knowing the comparables that sold across the street or what the appraised value of the home is. I mean whether they truly understand what the market is doing. If they’re experienced and they’re working with a lot of transactions, they can feel what the market is doing.

I have three buyer’s agents on our team, so I know what buyers are saying and what they’re doing. It’s easy for an agent to say the market is trending upward or downward, but what matters is whether they understand the flow and feel of the market.

If you have any questions about what you should require of your agent or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in our market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.