Having a good relationship with your agent can result in a relatively smooth and easy experience for you when buying a new house, whereas a poor relationship can be a complete nightmare. Choosing the right real estate agent is very important to sell your house at a higher price or buy your dream house at the right price. Choosing the right agent is a critical step for the home buying or home selling process.
To check if you have chosen the right agent for selling your home, here are 5 questions that must be asked:
- How much experience do you have working in the real estate industry?
The real estate agent you will choose should have a license to sell your house in the state. Always ask them if they are a member of any trade organizations. Always choose an agent who has been selling properties that are similar to your home for at least two or three years. The knowledge and the experience of the real estate agent help to accurately price the property. Pricing your property at the right price is very important to ensure the smooth selling of your house.
- How hard will you work to sell my house?
It is very important to find how much involved he or she will be in selling your house and how much they will be active to find the right buyer for your house. A real estate agent who is always there to help you out and solve your queries is the perfect person to sell your house at the right price.
- Do you work full or half-time as an agent?
Full-time agents are most likely to devote more time to selling your house. Part-time agents will have less time to help you in selling your house when compared to full-time agents. This question will make you aware of how much time you can expect your real estate agent to devote to your project.
- How will you stay in touch with me?
A good real estate agent will ask you how you prefer the communication that will take place. Do you accept phone calls, e-mails, or text messages? Do you want a weekly update about the progress of selling your home or you to want to be only contacted with the significant information? He /she should always follow what you wish for and should work in a way so that you get the best of the results.
- What is your commission?
This is a very important question as all these costs will eventually add to your total cost of buying your house and hence it becomes extremely important to find a real estate agent who asks for a commission that you are comfortable paying.
How to choose the best real estate agent for yourself?
- Meet with several real estate agents before choosing any: Meeting and interviewing a few good agents will give you the opportunity to ask them questions, learn more about their experience, working style and determine their areas of expertise. It will help you make a more informed decision and you can choose the right agent for you.
- The agent should be an expert on the local real estate market: The agent should be able to answer all your questions with confidence. Make sure that the agent is an expert in the neighborhoods in which you are most interested. Note their answers and do a little bit of research. A good agent will be able to recommend the best price to sell or buy within your local market which will help you in making the best decision.
- Make sure that the real estate agent can work easily around your schedule: Not all the agents work for the same hours but this will give you an insight into their level of experience and involvement within the market. Full-time real estate agent will be able to work for more time with you and will work with you at the time that suits your busy life.
- Pick an agent who picks up the phone: Your agent must always be ready to pick up the calls, answer your texts, and reply to all your emails. Your agent should communicate with you regularly and give you the specific information when you need it. Your agent’s communication skills are important because they will be coordinating with a number of professionals during the process; from attorneys to home inspectors and mortgage consultants.
- The agent should always have a solid plan: Whether you are buying or selling a home, they should be able to communicate what makes them different from the other agents in the area. Having a solid plan goes a long way in selling or buying a house at the right price.
- Make sure that you and your agent have a good connection: You are going to spend a substantial amount of time working with your agent so it is important to make sure that your connection with them feels right.
Always choose your real estate agent wisely to ensure the smooth selling of your house.
