Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring A Real Estate Agent.
Guest Post by Hubert Dwight
Most of us are involved in selling our existing house to finance our new home build.
The sales process during a property sale can be a challenging one.
You need to minimise any hitches when dealing with banks, property lawyers and buyers.
Many property sellers make their an error when selecting their real estate agent, which puts them on the back foot from the outset.
To ensure you are on the front foot when it comes to the sale of your property,we recommend the following tips to avoid making a costly mistake.
Do your own research to find the value for your home.
There are many statistical factors that estimate what your home should be worth.
It is best to conduct our own research on other similar properties in your area to get an understanding of the price range for your type of property.
Your research will help you understand how the property needs to appeal to the desires of the prospective buyers and help drive up the demand for your property.
The more demand there is, the more valuable your home will be.
A good agent will have good experience with maximising this demand among your property’s prospective buyers.
Don’t get blinded by money.
You want to get as much as you can for your property, but don’t get blinded by real estate agencies that promise you a large sales figure amount, only to sell your property far less than you expected.
You want to hire an agent that will give you good value for money.
They are in it for the real estate agent’s fees (commission) on the sale. . . . You are in it for the best sale price that you can get for your property.
From your research you will know whether the agent is providing an accurate guide or an inflated estimate to win your business
Take emotion out of the equation
One of the worst things you can do is let emotion dictate the perceived value for your property.
When too much emotion is invested into your decision-making process, it can cloud your judgement.
Your emotional and financial needs have no impact for the buyer.
The desire to sell at a higher price can cause you to choose an agent that will over promise and put you in a position where you will receive a service that is under delivered.
Many agents leverage people’s emotions to choose them as their property’s agent.
Instead, make a decision based on the agent’s track record and by conducting your own market research so you have realistic expectations for your property.
Hire an agent based on skill, not just likeability.
You want to hire an expert that will sell your property for the price that you want.
It is fine to hire someone that is more likable, but ultimately, you want to hire a person that has the skill to sell your property at the price that you desire.
Compare agents and check that they have strong negotiation skills and a buyer market reach to stimulate demand for your property.
You want to ensure that the price of your property doesn’t fall, thus making you lose money on your property.
Make sure the agent uses the latest marketing techniques
Some real estate agents are stuck in the past with their selling techniques.
Traditional methods whereby placing ads in newspapers are less relevant as newspaper circulation has been in a steady decline for over a decade.
More interaction occurs on the web via computers and smartphones.
Additionally, the expectation of the attention to detail with buyers is higher than it has ever been.
Compare real estate agents to see if they can meet and exceed your expectations.
Additionally, the reputation of the agent is crucial. Online reviews and credibility will make or break their success.
Sites like LocalAgentFinder that showcases the track record of agents, turning real estate selection into a buyers market.