The Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) puts the number of active real estate licensees in the United States at around 2 million. The number of real estate brokerage firms stands at nearly 90,000.
If you’re selling your home, how do you know who to trust?
Our quick guide will help you to find a new real estate agent that you can rely on.
Do They Listen To You?
The first warning sign that your new real estate agent isn’t the one for you is that they don’t listen to you. They might show a passing interest in the property, but you’ve always got the feeling they’re not really listening.
This agent isn’t going to do a great job of representing you and your home to prospective buyers. You need to choose someone who is attentive to your needs and the information you’re giving them.
Similarly, anyone who wants to be a realtor should never neglect the fine details. If your realtor is doing a lazy, broad brush stroke approach, you might want to consider finding a new real estate agent.
Get Other People’s Opinions
Talk with the agent’s recent clients and see how happy they are. It always pays to do background research like this.
If they’re happy to part with the information, ask them how much the house was on the market for, and how much it sold for in the end. What’s the difference?
How long was their home on the market? Was it hard to reach the agent sometimes, or were they attentive? Did they try to charge any sneaky fees that weren’t clear from the outset?
These are the sort of questions you need to be asking.
Are They Marketing Themselves Online?
If your realtor doesn’t have an online presence – forget them and move on. 80% of all home buyers are searching for their new home online.
If your home isn’t going to be advertised online, there’ll be less competition for it. That means less interest, a slower selling time, and quite possibly a poor selling price.
Make Sure That They Are Licensed
Licensed real estate agents have passed state and national exams. They might have also undertaken a criminal record check.
Ask your agent up front to see their license and any other information they can give you about their business. A legitimate business will be pleased to share this with you.
Every licensed agent and business are overseen by state boards, meaning that there is some oversight to their behavior, and you have somewhere to complain to if there are problems.
If they’re reluctant to share – back away right now. You don’t want to be handing over big fees to a cowboy firm.
A Good Realtor Could Be Key
There’s no such thing as too much background checking and research when it comes to choosing a new real estate agent.
Their experience and talent could make the difference between a fast sale at a good price, and a slow sale with a terrible deal.
It’s no small task, and you need to be sure you’re getting the best service.