You’re ready to make a big change in your life — but first, you need to sell your house.
However, the process of understanding what to look for in a realtor can be seriously tricky, not to mention stressful.
With so many options out there, it can be challenge to know what to look for.
Should you go with an agent with tons of experience, or the one that seems like they’ll stay in constant contact with you?
This post is here to help.
In it, we’ll tell you all about just a few of the most important things that you need to remember when you want to know how to choose a real estate agent.
1. Know Your Needs
When it comes to understanding what to look for in a realtor, the first thing is to define your own needs.
What are your priorities when it comes to selling your home?
Do you have a fast timeline that you need to follow? Would you like to get the most money possible out of your sale? Is your primary concern someone who will provide you with the best possible service — like answering your midnight emails about closing costs?
Perhaps you’re interested in working with a Kirkland Real Estate Agent who gives a closing gift of a donation in your honor to a cause that you care about.
Tools like We Donate Together can help you and your agent to give back to the community by connecting you with agents that make charitable giving a part of their selling process.
Sit with your family members and talk about the most important qualities that a real estate agent should have.
2. Check an Agent’s Licensing
The next step in finding a real estate agent?
When you’re combing through online listings and coming up with a list of initial leads, you need to check to be certain that their license is current and valid before you fall in love with one.
You can do this by checking things out on the real estate database of your state, which should look similar to this page. You’ll be able to sort these licenses by a real estate agent’s name, type of license, or even just by verifying if the license number they’ve provided you with is up to date.
3. A High Number of Current Listings
Whether you’re using an agent to sell your current house, find a new one, or both?
You need to make sure that they’re managing several listings at once. This means that not only do they have lots of experience, but also that they’ll be able to show you a ton of options.
Plus, the more listings they have, the more fair that they’re likely to be when it comes to things like commission and fees.
Of course, you want to ensure that those listings are somewhat similar to your price range and needs. If, for example, you’re trying to sell a one-bedroom home, but the client usually sells houses with three or more bedrooms?
Your home might not exactly be their number-one priority.
4. Excellent References and Reviews
Of course, one of the best ways to feel confident in the choice you’re making regarding a real estate agent is to read through online testimonials and reviews on third-party sites.
First of all, this will help you to dodge some serious bullets. But it will also help you to understand the more specific qualities of the agent you’re thinking of working with.
You should also speak directly to past references.
This will allow you to ask questions about their commission, how long the process of selling took, and how easy it was to get in touch with them when there was an issue.
5. An Agent That Takes Advantage of Technology
Another mark of a good real estate agent?
Someone who is willing to take advantage of all the opportunities that modern technology offers them when it comes to selling your home.
This should include things like virtual tours, virtual home staging, and the ability to promote your home on social media profiles.
Taking advantage of the Internet age means that you’ll be much more likely to get higher, and multiple, offers on your home. If you’re trying to buy a home, you’ll be able to see tons more options than if you were just limited to what was physically in your area.
Ask your agent about how they use technology to create a sense of competition when it comes to their listings. Then, ask about the specific listing website that they’ll use to let people know that your home is on the market.
Plus, technology is also key when it comes to the communication between you and the agent.
Make sure you’ve spoken about the best ways to stay in touch, the times that you can and cannot call them, and how long you should expect to wait to get a response from them.
What to Look for in a Realtor: Wrapping Up
From speaking to past references and verifying their licensing to knowing your own needs, we hope that this post has taught you what to look for in a realtor.
No matter where you’re located now or where you’re planning to move, having the right people on your side will make what’s usually a stressful process much easier on you and your family.
Looking to connect with a good real estate agent in your area?
Use our database to come up with several potential options.
Then, continue to rely on our blog for the latest advice on the market, how to stage your home, and much more.