Buying or selling a house is a thrilling experience for everyone. The excitement that comes with it is priceless. Getting an excellent real estate agent is critical in ensuring this process goes on smoothly. However, these days many agents are advertising themselves on public benches, online ads, and even yard signs. Cutting through this advertising hype and getting the right one for you may be a daunting task. Below are of the things you should consider while looking for an excellent real estate agent.
Talk With The Agents’ Clients
One of the first things that you should do is to request the agent for a list of their recent clients. This should be a list of what they have listed and sold in the previous year. It is best to check on their latest work and not those that they did three years ago since the market changes often. Contact their clients and get to know what they have to say about them. Ask them how long their homes were on the market. You could also ask them if the properties sold were similar to yours in price and location to know if they are specialized in what you are selling. Finding an agent who has sold properties like yours will be an added advantage to you since they have more experience in that.
Chemistry Is Key
Before picking an agent that you will work with, it is prudent to interview at least three of them to learn more about them. Check on their honesty and see if you can trust them. It is good to focus on the neighborhood expertise that they have. It would be a wrong idea to hire one that does not know a single thing about your neighborhood and leave one that has been helping clients buy and sell houses in your area for years. Sadly, several agents use these opportunities to market themselves instead of the property, and you will end up spending months without selling or buying the house you want. Be careful about that.
Experience
You need to ask how long they have been in business. Most experts recommend choosing a real estate agent that has five or more years of experience. This does not mean that someone with less cannot do the job, but it shows that the ones with more years in it have more experience and a larger client base. Those with little experience will be learning on you, which is not good since your money is at stake. You should also check that they do the job on a full-time basis so that they will have time for you and be dedicated to you.
Finding the right real estate agent is about balancing the credentials and chemistry. You will need to choose someone that you like and can trust, and that has your best interests at heart because you may end up working the next six months together. With the above points, you will be on your way to choosing the best real estate agent for you.