One of the most important decisions you will have to make in your life, at least if you are planning to buy or sell a property, is the decision of hiring the right real estate agent. It may sound like something not that easy in general, all you need to do is to find someone with enough experience in the branch and enough knowledge, However, when it comes to the best real estate agents, expertise is not enough and there many more factors and aspects that will affect your overall experience with the professional and the service they provide. Most importantly, you need and want to find a professional estate agent you can fully trust to navigate you and help you throughout this most important decision in your life.
Yes, indeed, you may be tempted to hire the first real estate agent you talk to. You believe this will save you so much time, energy, and efforts. At the end of the day, they are all working in the same field and what could be really that different between the service they offer? Well, let us tell you – there are some major differences between the performance and help you can get from an experienced and highly professional estate agent and one who is just dipping their finger in the ocean this professional field is. Therefore, even if it takes some time and effort, make sure to take your time and do a thorough research that will help you find the best real estate agent for your needs. Here are some handy tips you can benefit from when looking for the right real estate agent.
There are many ways to find a real estate agent professional in your area. However, not all of them are the same and not all of them will provide you with the same peace of mind when you are dealing with this life-changing transaction, no matter if you are selling or buying. In order to find a reliable source of information and contact details of professional and reputable real estate agents near you, make sure to use a referral program you trust and that will provide you with all you want to know about trusted estate agents.
It is definitely worth it to do a thorough research online and check out reviews and testimonials left by real customers of the agent as well as checking the professionals’ websites which could give you a good idea of how they work and how they represent their businesses on the competitive market. You can also opt for the classic way of getting referrals and recommendations from people you know and who have recently used the service of a real estate agent, including family members, friends, colleagues, and everyone you can trust with their opinion about the experience they have had. Do not forget to take your time and also visit open houses as this will give you the chance to meet real estate agents in person and speak to them.
Now, let’s say you know where to look for and who to ask when you want to find the real estate agent. The next big project would be how to narrow down your choice and what criteria to set in order to hire the best real estate agent at the end of your research. Naturally, great experience in the professional field would be one of the major factors affecting your decision.
Now, one thing is for sure, when you are looking for the right estate agent for the transaction you are planning, it is very important to pay attention to the interview process. That is right, interviewing professionals you would like to potentially hire and work with is a great way to dig deeper into the service they are offering, how they are handling different types of work within their field and different clients, what you can expect, and get a general idea of their style of work. You wouldn’t trust an amateur for this big event in your life, therefore, you want to look for someone with quite an experience, especially when it comes to experience in the real estate market the area you are buying or selling. So make sure to set the bar high and this will help you narrow it down to the best expert in your area.
So when you are looking for good experience in the field, make sure you are considering the years of experience they have in the branch but also if they have all the required certifications and professional qualifications to do the job. So if you are buying a home, make sure you are looking for an estate agent with at least two years of full-time experience in the field, while selling a property will require at least four years of experience in the field since it is even more complicated and takes some good knowledge of the market.
Of course, having experience of the real estate market in general is wonderful, however, knowing the local market is much better when it comes to you choosing a real estate specialist. It is a major plus if the real estate agent you choose has worked and is familiar with the local market in the area where you are planning to sell or buy the property. Here is what to look for in a real estate agent when interviewing the specialist. First of all, learn if they close a lot of homes. You definitely want to work with a real estate specialist who has sold a lot of homes in the area.
A seasoned and experiences real estate market specialist would close at least thirty homes a year. Being successful on the real estate market takes a lot of hard work and a good reputation, so it is safe to say that a high-volume estate agent would be a good one to hire. In case you are selling a property, a good and reputable real estate agent will provide you with a full marketing plan to do that successfully and at best price for less time. On another hand, if you want to buy a new home, you want to work with an agent who is also a seasoned negotiator and can get you the property at the best possible price.
A high-volume real estate agent would also have access to a lot more offers and will even know about great properties before they even hit the market. Obviously, if a real estate specialist has sold a lot of homes in your area, it can be assumed they have a proven expertise. But what is even more important, you also want to hire a specialist who has strong ties to your community and area.