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CHOOSING A REAL ESTATE AGENT TO SELL YOUR HOME
Selling your home and property is a huge life step. Whether you’re upsizing, downsizing, making a sea or tree change, or just looking for something different, there is a lot of work that goes into completing a successful sale.
Regardless of your reason for selling, one of the most vital choices you will make during the process is that of your real estate agent.
Who you select to represent your family and property is paramount to getting the best price, as well as building potential relationships with an agent for further sales or purchases in the future.
Executive chairman of WBP Group, Greville Pabst and Robyn Waters of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) provide their best tips for selecting the right realtor for you.
Find a consultant that you can connect with
An important concept to note is that you should find an agent with a similar personality to you. This not only ensures that you are able to communicate more easily and efficiently, but it allows a deeper connection and will encourage your agent to really strive to provide the best service and the best selling price for your home.
Ms Waters suggests visiting a few local agencies in your area and having a chat with a few different agents.
“You have to like your agent - they will be part of your family, and in and out of your home for weeks,” she explains.
“Real estate is a service industry. It’s the agent who goes the extra mile to make their clients feel valued, confident and secure that they will get the best results.”
Another suggestion is to request several sales strategies to be submitted to you by potential estate agents that you find. This will allow you to gain a better understanding of their knowledge, ability and expertise, as well as their willingness to stretch that little bit more to get the job done for you.
“Get them to include likely selling price, how they are going to go about selling (auction or private sale), what commission, how much in advertising and where it will be spent,” says Mr Pabst of WBP Group.
Location, location, location
It is only logical to select an agent that is knowledgeable and familiar with your local area. They will possess greater market and suburb insights, be able to explain to potential buyers intimate information about the area, and will be well versed in selling similar style homes and properties in that particular area.
“Local agents should have a sound grasp of properties in that area because they have strong ties to the community and many support [groups like] the football club, schools, charities, et cetera.,” says Ms Waters.
It is also important to note what sort of properties realtors are used to selling. For example, if you find an agent that has only ever sold large family homes on huge blocks of land, this might not be the best match in terms of selling your small apartment or unit.
Ensure you are well-informed before making a decision
Aside from scoping out potential estate agents for your property, it is important to know what to expect in terms of a final sale price.
Jump online and research homes similar in nearby suburbs that have been recently sold. There, you can compare concepts such as proximity to different points of interest, home and land size, house facilities and condition to your own home, and gauge an idea of a rough number for which you might accept an offer.
“If they are selling a house down the street, have a look at how it is presented and the style of auctioneering and make sure you’re comfortable with that,” says Mr Pabst.
“Get independent advice or make sure you really understand negotiation and understand the market,” he says.
If you are thinking of selling your home, contact a few local real estate offices to arrange meetings, where you can engage with different real estate agents and decide who is right for you and your property.
