One of the biggest transactions in life that one makes is buying or selling a home. To have assistance, arming oneself with a professional is much needed to ensure a smart and smooth transaction.
When choosing a real estate agent, people rely on their friends or family to get recommendations. This isn’t a bad place to start as one can always rely on their near and dear ones, but you do not have to depend entirely on someone else to help you choose a real estate agent. Do your research and select an agent that best fulfills your needs and understands your budget.
Here are a few tips that could come in handy if you’re thinking of buying or selling a home and need to hire a real estate agent for the same:
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TEST & TRY
Shortlist a few realtors based on recommendations and your research and plan a meeting with them. Interview your potential realtors to learn about their experience, areas of expertise, and professionalism.
You would want to work with someone punctual, who has years of experience, and who would understand your needs and concerns. Express your demands to your potential realtor beforehand to avoid any complications. Also, ask them for a few references, which your realtor should happily provide.
EXPERTISE
Look for an agent who is an expert on the local real estate market. Your agent should know about the different neighborhoods in the area, the average home listing, and selling. In short, the agent should answer your questions about the local market with confidence and precision.
SCHEDULE
The number of hours an agent dedicates to his job can give you an insight into their level of involvement with the market and their experience. You can make such a guess by knowing whether your agent works part-time or full-time. Full-time agents can work more hours, which might benefit your time preference. Find an agent who can give you the time and flexibility you need.
TECHNOLOGY
Today’s digital age provides many opportunities to make work easier and more efficient. Check if your agent is tech-savvy, as strong and experienced agents take advantage of the same to be more productive and get the best results for their clients. Your agent should be active on social media and use the platform to promote themselves and their client’s properties. The conflicting schedules of buyers and sellers can be streamlined through technology, and thus, that makes your agent’s digital presence necessary.
CONNECTION
The relationship between you and your agent should be right. It should neither be extremely professional nor overly casual. Working with an agent means spending a lot of time with them, and you should work with an agent who makes you feel comfortable and listens and responds to your queries/doubts readily.
