Selling your home can be a really difficult task, which can be both physically as well as mentally exhausting. A crucial part in selling your hone, is getting it listed with a real estate agent.
What can you do to ensure that you select the right real estate agent? Mr. Angus Reed, who is a big name in the New York real estate industry tells us some basic questions that need to be asked to the agent in order to decide which one you should go with.
- Is this your full-time job?
There are real estate agents who are a part-timers. Being a real estate agent is a full time job and if the agent does not work full-time, you should just say ‘no’ to them. It is important that the agent gives all his time to the job he is given.
- How are you different from others?
There are many agents in the market and the agent should be able to tell you how is he different from others. The agent should be honest in telling you this. Choose an agent if they match the things you need from them.
- How many clients have you worked with?
This is a far better indicator of an agent’s experience than asking them ‘how long have you been in this?’. This is because years cannot tell you precisely if he has the right skills or not. Also, you can ask how many clients have they worked with in the last year.
- Who is in your team?
Knowing who’s in their team is very important, if the agent tries to push a mortgage lender, red-flag him. There are many agents who accept money or gifts from the lenders which makes it hard to trust them.
- Does the buyer have a pre-approval?
If the buyer does not have a pre-approval, it is a waste of time to go through all the process. You should ask the agent if the buyer have it with them.
- Ask for contact information of the past clients
Reviews of their past clients are very important as these are the most credible source of information. You should not shy away from taking their contact number from the agent.
- Will you come along for the home inspection?
If the agent won’t come for inspection or is going to send someone on his behalf, what is the point of hiring them? It is important that the agent himself attends the inspection.
- What are you going to negotiate?
The agent should have a good negotiation skills. They need to have professionalism in their attitude and must be able to establish that it is a win-win situation for both the parties.
- What competitive advantage do you offer?
The agent must be able to tell you what advantage he has to offer to you. There are many agents and if he can’t tell you the advantage, you should look for other options.
- What if I am dissatisfied?
When you ask this question, you will know what will happen if you don’t want to discontinue working with them. You don’t have to work with someone you don’t want to. Analyze how do they respond to this question.
- Do you have any agent certificate?
There are many certifications available for real estate agent. Some of these are Certified Residential Specialist. Accredited Buyer’s Representative and counselor of Real Estate. Go with the one who has a certificate.
These are the 11 questions that you must ask your real estate agent when you decide which one will be the best for you. Do not settle down with the first or the second agent you meet. Make sure you do a proper research before you hire y