When the time comes to sell your home or buy a new one, a plethora of emotions are created. Nostalgia, excitement, and worry are only a few! To curb the negative feelings and enhance the positive ones, every buyer and seller (both new and experienced) could use a helping hand. Read on to learn how to find a great Realtor you can trust. Turn To the NetThe internet has everything you could ever want—including information on real estate agents. Scour the web for anything you want to know, including the number of clients that agents have and reviews both on and off the Realtor’s website. Google and Yelp have excellent review systems that can reveal the truth that an agent’s professional site may want to hide. Depending on the website’s features, you may be able to chat with the agent before setting up an official interview—this can be a great way to narrow down your search without needing to devote hours to interviews that go nowhere. Talk With Other HomeownersSpeak with your friends, family, and neighbors to learn who they ended up going with. Ask them everything that pops into your head—did you get what you wanted? Did you feel listened to? Did you feel like they were honest? While online reviews are a great resource, people can embellish aspects of their stories (especially negative ones). Interviewing people you already trust can give you a sense of who these agents are. If you’re moving to a brand-new area (like in another city), seek out Facebook groups. Many neighborhoods have their own Facebook group—you can post a question asking about their experiences with Realtors and perhaps make a few new friends before you move in! Find Someone Who Cares What You WantWe often see agents who know what they want out of a client and focus on that. The best Realtor listens to what their client wants and sets aside their own desires—perhaps a client is looking for a small house on the outskirts of a city. This will come with a smaller commission than a downtown home, so a lesser agent may try to convince their clients that the expensive home is better for their needs. When you feel a Realtor leading you away from what you’re after, find a new one. Your house will dictate much of your life for the next several years, so don’t settle for someone who doesn’t care what you want. Look for PassionA Realtor who enjoys their job is one you want working for you. Look through their listing materials, signage, and brochures. If you can tell that they’re marketing other properties with conviction and excitement, that energy will translate to buyers, and it will be easier to make a deal. Communication Is KeyComfort and communication go hand-in-hand. If you can’t be friendly with your agent, lines of communication will break down and make the entire process more complicated than it needs to be. Once you’ve found a Realtor who is easy to talk to, however, don’t stop your search! If holding a conversation is effortless, but it’s hard to get in contact with them, that’s a red flag. Look for someone who answers the phone when you call or at least returns your messages in a timely manner. Otherwise, you never know if they’ll flake out when the big offer comes in. Find an Honest AgentRealtors who tell you that there’s nothing you can’t do may be pleasant in the moment, but they can rarely deliver on such lofty promises. Agents that give it to you straight are much more likely to “make good” on their promises. Realism is what you want in real estate, so look for Realtors who can mitigate risk. Keep an eye out for agents who use hyperbole and language to convince you of something rather than data and analysis. Numbers don’t lie—people do. Find an agent who is willing to tell you exactly what it’s going to take to sell your house quickly and for the best price. Make Sure They Have SupportAn agent who represents a large team is more likely to do the best work for you. Since many Realtors work with several clients at once, they must have a support structure to keep track of paperwork, dates, and numbers. If everything falls on one person’s shoulders, it won’t be long until they’re worn thin. Pick the Person, Not Their ExperienceExperience is crucial, but perhaps not as crucial as chemistry. Every agent needs to start somewhere, and even the most successful Realtors once had no successes to their names. Instead, seek out the agents that feel relatable to you—can you have an enjoyable conversation with them? You’re going to spend a lot of time talking with them about what you want, so make sure they speak your language. This chemistry translates to real-world benefits, too. If you hire an agent that you find incredibly dull, chances are that some of your would-be buyers will feel the same. Picking an agent you genuinely like can help keep buyers interested, too. Look Over Their Track RecordThe best Realtors have forged their record over the span of years (perhaps decades). If you want a rock-solid agent who has seen and done it all, find one with tons of properties in their past. It’s also essential that those “properties in their past” are of a type that you’re interested in. An agent may have 20 years of experience with commercial buildings but if you’re in the market for a single-family home, you’ll want to look elsewhere. Even a great track record can have a few bumps—there’s no need to eliminate an agent from consideration for a two-star review in a sea of fives. One thing not every Realtor can deliver on is a quick timeframe. That’s understandable—an agent can’t control the market’s interest in your home. However, if you want to sell your house fast in Schaumburg, contact us—we can help! Now that you know how to find a great Realtor you can trust, pick the best person and start the next chapter of your life with confidence.
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AuthorEric Strung and Direct Property Buyer Team Archives
January 2024
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*Members of Direct Property Buyer have real estate licenses held by Spartan Residential.
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