The right real estate agent can make or break your home buying/selling experience.
Look for a full time agent with local expertise, positive client reviews, team support
and a proven process.
It’s a good idea to interview several agents before you settle on one. Find out how
they communicate and what their working styles are like.
- Experience
When buying or selling a home, having an experienced real estate agent by your
side can make the difference between a smooth process and a nightmare you can’t
wake up from. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to find a great realtor.
One way to find an experienced agent is through trusted referrals from friends and
family who have recently gone through the homebuying or selling process. Another
option is to visit open houses, which are an excellent way to meet agents in the area
you’re interested in and see how they interact with potential buyers or sellers.
Also, when interviewing agents, ask them about their recent sales and how they
were able to help their clients achieve their goals. This will give you a good idea of
whether they are a good fit for your situation.
- Reputation
A good reputation is essential for any business, and real estate agents are no
exception. In fact, a recent study found that many home buyers choose realtors
based on online reviews and ratings.
Consumers will scour real estate agent review sites, personal websites, and social
media to research candidates. Having positive reviews can indirectly help real
estate agents’ search engine ranking by increasing time spent on their websites and
decreasing bounce rates.
As a result, picking the right real estate agent can make or break a client’s
experience during a potentially stressful life event. A trusted, knowledgeable partner
can ease the process and help clients reach their goals. However, with 1.3 million
licensed real estate agents in the US, finding one can be daunting.
- Personality
Real estate agents are in the business of connecting people. That’s why the
personality traits that make for a good agent are essential to finding the right fit for
your needs. Read more https://www.sellmyhousefastforcash.com/we-buy-houses-covington-wa/
You want an agent who is comfortable approaching strangers and making new
connections. They should be able to leave a great impression on potential clients
and be able to build rapport in a short amount of time.
It’s also important that your agent is genuinely interested in helping you find the
home that suits your needs. If an agent is purely profit-driven, buyers can tell.
Ensure that your agent is committed to their client’s best interests and ask for
testimonials from past clients. They should also be able to respond promptly to your
questions and concerns.
- Communication
It’s important that you and your agent communicate well, both verbally and in
writing. Top agents use a clear, confident voice and avoid industry jargon in emails
and contract discussions. They also make eye contact, which conveys honesty and
respect.
Experienced agents fully understand the city in which they work, providing local
insight on everything from crime rates to pending zoning changes that may impact
home values. This expertise can save you time and money, especially in a
competitive market.
Find out whether the agent wants exclusivity from you or if they can sell your home
and help you buy another simultaneously (called dual agency). If you decide to
move forward with the agent, search your state real estate commission or board
website to see how long their license has been active.
- Technology
Real estate agents use a variety of tools to help them reach potential clients,
generate leads and keep their businesses afloat. This includes software like Ahrefs
and Semrush that optimize their marketing content for search engines, platforms
like Buffer and Hootsuite that help them direct social media activity to the best time
and date and products like TubeBuddy and vidIQ to optimize video content.
Another technology that can make a big difference for agents is smart CRM systems
that automate lead nurturing. This frees agents to focus on their clients and boost
productivity. Agents also need to make sure brokerage tech is easy-to-use.
Otherwise, it can suck productivity and push staff back to using low-tech methods
like paper files and local spreadsheets.