Local Real Estate Agent
Finding a local real estate agent can be a difficult task if you’re not sure where to look and what qualities to look for. Most homeowners don’t have the knowledge and experience in working with a local real estate agent. It’s not every day that you can put your house up for sale after all.
Below are some qualities to look for when hiring a local real estate agent:
1. Effective Communicator and Good Listener
If there’s one quality in a real estate agent that you need to look for first, it is their ability to communicate effectively. For first time sellers, there’s nothing more stressful than working with a real estate agent who doesn’t give you updates on how everything is going. It can be downright frustrating to often call your agent to get updates on the status of your listing. Or even worse, feeling like the real estate agent just disappeared can add to the stress of it all.
As for listening, it’s important for any local real estate agent to understand what his or her client wants so another important quality you need to look for is being a good listener. Be very careful with an agent who speaks more than you. He or she may have experience to share, but, ultimately, it is you who needs to do most of the talking so the agent understands what you need.
What to do:
•Talk to the local real estate agent and observe how he or she communicates. Does the agent explain things in a way that makes everything clear for you? Did the agent mention anything about weekly or monthly calls to update you on the status of your house?
•Talk to past clients as they will be the best source of information since they’ve worked with the real estate agent before.
•If you can’t locate past clients anymore, the internet is always a good place to look for feedback.
•Your keen power of observation is once again needed. Does the agent speak more than you do? Can you even get a word in to tell the agent what your preferences are? If your answer is no to both questions, it’s time to get yourself a new local real estate agent.
2. Marketing Strategies
The real estate agent you’re looking for is also knowledgeable on appropriate marketing strategies to use for your listings. The agent can market via MLS listings, open houses, Craigslist and even marketing your listing to other agents in and out of office. The marketing strategies will vary because the agent should be customizing it according to your local market.
What to do:
Most agents will have their listings online. They may also have a website for their listings. Go online and see how the agent has formatted his or her listings. If it looks professional and attention-catching, it is a good sign.
3. Client-motivated
During the process of selling your house, you’d want to feel supported and well taken care of. This is what being client-motivated means. A local real estate agent who doesn’t put his client first and is only concerned about how he can make the most money won’t have a very good work history.
What to do:
With that said, you should again take to former clients for feedback. If you don’t have access to that, go to plan B which is online reviews.
4. Has Good Understanding of the Local Market
It’s mandatory for a local real estate agent to understand the market that he’s working in. If he doesn’t have a lot of local knowledge, it’s possible that he will have a difficult time selling your house. A local real estate agent who understands how his market behaves and reacts applies marketing strategies specific to those reactions.
What to do:
The best way to tell if an agent has good local knowledge is by looking at his sales history. How many houses has the agent sold in the past year or the past quarter? If the number is good, then you’ll know that you’re in good hands.
5. A Local Real Estate Agent Should be Well-Connected
Local real estate agents don’t work alone. Although they meet with clients on their own, they work with teams, other local real estate agents and third party companies from the back end of things to get the job done quicker.
What to do:
You’ll know that a local real estate agent is well-connected when you ask if they’re familiar with other realtors in the area and whether they can suggest a company to do fixes on your house. The agent can also direct you to someone who can help out with paperwork and the likes. These agents are also not afraid to give you client references from the latest sales they’ve closed so make sure you ask for it.
If you’re looking for local agents in the Twin Cities, contact Gold Path Real Estate – a company experienced in residential real estate in the Twin Cities with connections to top notch local real estate agents in the area. Call today at 612-758-0071.