Your reserve is important. The contract too. Deciding whether to spend some money on fixing up your home or not before sale is certainly up there. But without a doubt the most important decision you will make in selling your home is choosing your Real Estate Agent.
Real Estate Agents are experts in their field. They spend their days investigating the property market, talking to buyers and sellers, maintenance teams, councils and local businesses. They know what’s going on. They know what’s what. Who’s wasting your time and who’s honestly interested come auction day. And you pay them for this expertise, so ensuring they are truly an ‘expert’ and not just telling you what you want to hear is key.
Follow these tips to help you choose the Agent that’s right for you and your situation.
Ask around
Real Estate Agents build reputations. Both the good and the not so good will be known in your neighbourhood. So talk with people who’ve sold / bought properties with the Agent. Find out what the Agent is involved in – do they support local businesses, schools, are they part of the community? Talk to these people. Check their registration and qualifications.
And don’t forget to check online. What are their reviews like? Look through a range of different real estate websites to get a broad perspective and the best feel for the Agent.
Interview them
We want and expect our clients to mine us for information. Our tip is to create a list of questions, and interview Agents so that you can compare what they have to say and how forthcoming they are. Get to know them.
Ask things like the following.
- Results and track record
- Advice for preparing and presenting your property
- Explain the contract process
- Explain the sales process step by step
- Which buyers you should be targeting
- The advertising approach
Promising the earth – watch out!
You know when you get that nagging feeling in the pit of your stomach from someone when what they are saying may just be too good to be true. Especially when everyone else around you is saying something different. Then guess what, it is!
An Agent is promising you the earth, a valuation above the range anyone else is quoting is probably just trying to win your business and not really thinking about whether they can actually sell at that price or not.
Don’t get “dazzled” by the $$$ signs, which is certainly easy to do in this market with all the media attention on price. Question how realistic the valuation is, do your own research looking at land values, rates and what else has sold of similar quality.
You need to be comfortable with what the property sells for, and while it’s nice to dream about the big return you must stay realistic. You must have a plan for what happens if you don’t get the price “promised” and don’t sell during your initial campaign.
Trust your gut
Sometimes you just need to trust your gut, and choose someone that you are comfortable with. A good Agent will be in your life for a short but intense period so it’s important that you like and trust the person who’s going to be calling you with updates every few days or even every day.
While we can’t claim to be experts in the latest fashion trends or what’s ‘hip’ with the youth, we do know real estate and we’re here to help. Call us on 03 8680 9421 or visit our Bay Street office for a cuppa and a chat.
