Finding the right real estate agent to sell your home is like hiring the right babysitter for your children. It’s a massive trust game. I just went through this process to sell our family home, feeling like Sally Field in Mrs Doubtfire — interview after interview after interview. My husband and I would literally sit there crossing names off a list.
The right fit for us might not work for others, and visa-versa — you need to find the right person for YOU. I wanted someone trustworthy, confident, likeable and not too pushy… but still pushy enough. See what I mean — it’s hard!
So, we asked the professionals for their advice on how to find the perfect agent to sell your home, and this is what our mates at CENTURY 21 had to say…
1. Do your research.
Start looking at a few agents to see how they work in and around your area. Don’t just go with the first agent you meet — they’re all different and have different expertise. It’s important to compare rates, commissions, photography and marketing costs, because this might honestly be the difference between a $100k profit and a $110k profit.
2. Look local.
The agent you choose is going to represent you and your property, so you want them to fully understand your local area and realistic house prices for your suburb. If they’re local, they should have a list of potential buyers who are looking in your area. You want them to send an EDM to all their VIPS and potential buyers before it goes out to the masses on realestate.com.
3. Get out and about and visit open inspections in and around your suburb to meet other agents.
See how they treat you as a potential buyer. Are they knowledgable? Are they helpful? Are they too pushy? Or not pushy enough? Do they follow up to gage your interest? How many houses have they sold in your area? This way you can see how they work from the other side. If you like how they treat you, they might be a good fit.
4. Comfort matters.
It’s important you feel comfortable with your real estate agent. You don’t want to be with an agent who is just in it for themselves and see you as another number. You want to feel confident that you can be honest during the selling process and not feel pressured into dropping your price or settling for a number that doesn’t sit well with you.
5. Check their resume.
Ask the agent to show you a list of houses they have sold in the past, and in what time frames. You don’t want your house to be on the market for a long period of time because that’s just additional expenses.
6. Will they make your home sale ready.
Can they recommend a reputable stylist? How about a repairs person? It’s always easier if your agent can put you in touch with “their guys/gals” to make sure that your home is a picture of perfection before it hits the market.
Finding the right agent for you and your circumstances might take a bit of time — but selling a house is one of the biggest transactions you will ever make and you don’t want to make a mistake. Getting the wrong agent has the potential to cost you extra money, and lets be honest… nobody wants that!
Hayley xx
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