How to choose a real estate agent

When selling your home, choosing the right agent for the job is crucial. It can be an intimidating process, particularly for first time sellers. Many agents can talk the talk; the trick is to dig deeper and see which ones can back up their promises with sales results, happy vendors and genuine market knowledge.

With that in mind, here are the things you should be asking when sizing up a potential agent.

An agent who can address the following criteria is someone you can consider entrusting your home to.

Pricing the property

One of the first things you’ll likely want to know is how much your home may be worth. Obviously this is important, but don’t base your assessment of an agent on this figure alone. A knowledgeable agent will appraise your home and determine a price you can realistically expect to achieve, rather than unfairly getting your hopes up. Ask them exactly how they’ve come up with their figure or price range; the agent’s knowledge of what comparable local properties have recently sold for, and the state of the market, should guide their assessment here.

Also enquire about how long they estimate it will take the property to sell, and how long similar properties are currently sitting on the market. Ask for their take on the current state of the market and how it might affect your campaign.

The agent should also be able to recommend the method of sale – auction or private sale – and explain clearly why that method is best suited to your property.

Marketing the home

How will the agent market your property, and why are they making those advertising choices?  Take a look at how they’ve chosen to market other properties in the past, and ask them to walk you through how the strategies they utilised led to a successful end result. The best agents are strategic with marketing, employing the strategies that will showcase your property in front of as many of the right buyers as possible. Saturating the media is far less important than targeting the correct buyer pool, and not all forms of advertising expenditure are appropriate for every property.

Compare the marketing strategies different agents will employ to get an idea of who really understands the best way to market the property and make the most of its unique selling points.

Attracting the buyers

Who is your likely buyer pool, and how will the agent reach out to them? Do they have a database already filled with buyers who may be interested in your property? Ask about open-for-inspections and how they’ll be run; if you really want to get a feel for a particular agent’s style, go undercover at one of their opens or auctions. Take note of how they engage with buyers – you’re looking for someone who can create trust.

A knowledgeable agent will recommend effective ways to present the property in order to maximise its impact and eventual selling price.

Knowing the area

What do they know about the local area? Someone with inside knowledge of the surrounds is better placed to serve your home because they’ll have an innate understanding of the trends and forces at play. Look for someone with extensive local experience, or even someone who lives in the suburb or grew up there. A local will truly understand what makes the suburb unique.

Their track record

Don’t make a choice based on financial considerations alone. Look at the agent’s track record – recent examples of their successes are best, since the market is ever-changing. Someone who’s achieved good prices, perhaps in challenging circumstances, and with a strong network of local buyers gets the thumbs up. When you sense that an agent is genuinely excited about your home, that’s a good sign.

Do your research and engage the best agent for the job – it will really pay off down the track!