It’s a bit rich when a real estate agent gives you advice on how to choose a real estate agent. What I really want to say is - Ask one question: “Is your name either Brad Robson or Peter May?” If the answer is “yes”, hire them.
However, I thought that may not go down all that well, so here is a little more info on helping you to choose a reputable agent.
Choosing the best agent to sell your property is the second most important decision in real estate (after choosing the right property to buy). From my experience many people are very casual in their approach to this crucial decision.
Some ring a couple of agents and choose the one who gives them the highest appraisal or offers the lowest commission. Base your decision on the answers to the questions below and remember, the only free cheese is in the trap and the best agent is the agent that gets you the most money for your home.
Here is a series of questions that may help you to choose the right agent for you. Treat it like an interview, speak to a few agents as if you’re considering them for a job.
16 Questions to Ask when Hiring a Real Estate Agent
- How much do you think my home will sell for and how have you come up with that figure?
- How does my home present and what can I do to improve it to maximise the sale price?
- What’s the best method for selling my home, Auction or private treaty and why?
- How long do you think it will take to sell, what is in approximate timeframe?
- Why should I hire you?
- Will I be dealing directly with you or are you just a figurehead and I’ll be dealing with someone from your team?
- Will you be running the open homes personally or do you have someone that does that for you?
- How long have you been working in this area?
- What comparable homes have you (not your agency) sold in this area lately?
- What is your opinion of the current state of the market?
- What marketing strategy do you suggest, why and how much is it going to cost me?
- What websites do you advertise my property on?
- What will you do to introduce buyers to my home?
- Do you have a list of recent Sellers that I can speak to and some recent testimonials I can read?
- Of the homes that you list, what percentage do you sell and within what timeframe?
- If you are recommending I Auction, what percentage of properties that you take to auction do you sell under the hammer and what is your average number of registered bidders?
The best agent is the one who will do the most effective job of marketing your home, negotiating the most favourable terms and conditions, and communicating with you to make the process as smooth as possible.
Taking time to perform a thorough investigation, in order to select the right agent who will meet your needs can save you a great deal of aggravation and effort in the selling process.
