How do I choose the right estate agent for me and my sale?
At Giggs and Bell, we know that working in the property industry is a privilege and a responsibility. Every day we come across stories where we have changed people’s lives and become someone’s hero (even if it is for only five minutes)!
So, when it comes to selling your home, you need to make sure the agent you choose feels the same way. Our tips and tricks will help you pick the perfect company to represent you.
1. Talk to your friends
The most obvious trick is to ask everyone you know who they would recommend. You want to know which friends have moved recently, who they used and if there were any issues.
Don’t forget to check online too. Google or Facebook reviews from real customers can be a big help in swaying your decision.
Ask your agent: What is your average review score on Google?
2. Check industry credentials
All estate agents are required to be members of the Property Ombudsman so make sure that yours is. Memberships means that the estate agent has to follow a code of conduct.
This likely implies that they will have higher standard of professionalism and diligence and therefore are going to be better for you.
Ask your agent: Are you a member of the Property Ombudsman?
3. Local property market understanding
It’s hard to fathom an estate agent who doesn’t understand what’s happening in the property market in your area or doesn’t know the community really well.
Quality real estate agents can buy and sell without a problem and will know what public amenities are nearby, what transport links are like, where the best local schools are and which areas have low crime rates.
Ask your agent: What do you think will happen to the property market in the next six months?
4. Proactive with modern technology
Your agent should be on top of any innovations in technology that means that they can tempt even more people to view and offer the best price for your property.
From being web savvy to having a great following on social media that they can leverage, to being able to email heads up property alerts to your buyers and match interested parties to your house digitally; newspaper, magazine and conventional advertising just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Ask your agent: How can you reach more people than other agents?
5. Guidance and advice
A really good estate agent will be authentic and relatable from the beginning. They can’t help you achieve your goals if they can’t be honest with you. So, if your home needs some intensive repairs and fixes or they need to walk you through why some home staging will help, telling you means they have your best interests at heart.
Ask your agent: What do I need to do to my home to maximise the sale price?
6. Not just feedback but great feedback
Great communication from your real estate agent is key when you’re selling your property. You ideally should have a dedicated account manager who will keep in touch with you regularly in the way that you would like.
You should never be left wondering what’s happening with the progress of your sale.
Ask your agent: How often will you keep in contact with me?
7. An active listener with good questions
A quality agent actively listens to what your needs are and asks the right kind of questions that help them create a strategy and marketing action plan that suits you and your goals, not the other way round.
Ask your agent: Is there anything you want to ask me?
Every homeowner who wants to sell their property deserves an agent with the qualities and values that match their own. If you take the time to make sure that’s the case then the process can actually be a pleasure rather than something you have to take a deep breath to steel yourself before jumping into!