What can I expect of my agent?
There are many agents competing for the mandate to sell your property. You need someone who has your best interest at heart. Paul Stevens, CEO, Just Property, suggests this checklist to make sure you make a good choice.
1 Honesty and transparency
Your agent needs to explain fully all the documents you are signing. Trust your gut. If your “gut” is telling you that something does not feel right or that your agent isn’t being fully transparent with you, ask for the contact information of past buyers that the agent has represented.
2 Frequent communication
You need an agent who will stay in touch to keep you updated and is contactable when you need him or her (within reason, i.e., responds in no more than a couple of hours).
3 Use of current technology
Technological advances have changed real estate a lot. Tools such as digital signing can save much time and effort. Digital audit trails are more robust too.
4 Business connections
There are many different parties involved in the sale of a property. You need to be confident that your agent can recommend the right people to you based on their established reliability and credibility.
5 Proven track record and success
Meet with a couple of agents and ask about their sales history and success, especially over the past year. Pay attention to how visible an agent is in your area (boards, branded cars, etc) as well as online. How they promote other properties is how they are likely to promote yours. Visit Google My Business to find out what other property owners thought about the service they received.
6 Strong negotiation skills
To receive the best deal possible, you need an agent who is a strong negotiator, without being too pushy or aggressive. How they treat you in trying to win the mandate is how they are likely to treat buyers when trying to close the deal.
7 Professionalism
Expect professionalism. Ask your agent to describe situations where they have gone the extra mile for a client. This will give you insight into what their service standards and levels of professionalism are.