Is selling your home on the agenda for next year? Or are you hoping to make a quick sale before Christmas? Finding the right real estate agent is crucial to securing the best price for your house, and to ensuring the whole sale process goes smoothly. Following are some important questions to ask before hiring a real estate agent to act on your behalf. 1. Are they experienced? Your agent may have a natural flair for real estate, but there is some knowledge that only comes with experience. Look for an agent who has been working in the industry for at least a year full-time, or the equivalent in part time experience. Strong professional networks are also a good indicator of experience, so look into whether your potential agent has good relationships with other real estate agents in the area.
2. What are their selling credentials? Specifically, you want to know how many houses your prospective realtor has sold. Their recent figures will reflect the wider market trends, but still provide a useful tool for comparing different agents.
3. Do they know what they are talking about? Ask your potential agent as many questions as you can. If they seem unsure or bluff on a lot of questions, then they don’t have the expertise you need.
4. Are they a member of the National Association of Realtors? You can weed out dubious operators by confirming they are a member of this organization, which sets down certain standards as a condition of membership.
5. Are they a member of the National Association of Realtors? You can weed out dubious operators by confirming they are a member of this organization, which sets down certain standards as a condition of membership.
6. Will they look out for you? You want an agent who will truly represent your best interest at every stage of the selling process. Make sure the person you are considering will guide and advise you through housing inspections, closing a sale and contract negotiation. They should be committed to protecting you from any liability and to negotiating to get the best possible price for your house.
7. Do they know your area? Your agent should have an intimate knowledge of your neighborhood –its better and less known selling points, the local market conditions and value of other homes to start.
8. Do you like their communication style? Would you prefer weekly phone calls or daily email updates? Ask the agent how they normally liaise with their clients and let them know your own preferences.
Or maybe if you wind up keeping your house and just doing some work on it, we'd be more than happy to help out. One way or another, we hope you keep these tips in mind!
