5 Tips To Find The Right Estate Agent To Sell Your Property
When it comes to selling your property, you need to work with an agent you trust. You and your agent need to work together and be on the same team for your property to actually get sold, The longer your property sits on the market, the higher the chances of the value dropping. Which is why, you need to hire a professional real estate agent who has many years of experience, and more importantly, an estate agent who is qualified in selling your type of property. So whether you’re looking for estate agents in Battersea or you’re looking for estate agents in Leeds, just follow these 5 tips to find the right real estate agent for you, and your property.
Do your research
As your friends and family members if they know of any good real estate agent/ What was their experience with that agent? Go online and see all the real estate agents who are working in your area? How many of them fit your requirements? Check the reviews online – those really matter! Don’t just choose an estate agent based on someone’s recommendation or because their portfolio sounds fancy, nor should you choose one because they’re asking for a lower commission percentage. Always, do your research and choose a real estate agent who has good testimonials. You may also search online or the best real estate agent. With their years of experience in the industry, they know exactly how to navigate the market and get you the best deal possible.
Meet in person
After you have shortlisted a few potential real estate agents, set up a meeting with them and meet in person. Do you feel welcome? Is he or she friendly? Did he or she punctual or did you have to wait for a long time? What’s the vibe like? Does your gut say you can trust them? Is this the estate agents full-time job? How long has the agent been in the industry? By asking these questions, you’ll get a fair idea about whether or not this person will be able to sell your property. In such cases, it is best to trust your instinct. Don’t believe sugar-coated words and extensive promises, believe what you hear and see.
Interview your top few picks
Consider the meet and greet a preliminary interview. This interview is the real one. After your first meeting, there will probably have two or three real estate agents that you really liked. If you’ve already chosen the one, there is no harm in asking them a few more questions. Talk to them about what listing price you have in mind and if they think that’s a good valuation. Always prefer an estate agent who believes in open communication as opposed to an estate agent who says to everything you say. How will the real estate agent part time sell your property? Will they promote your property online or just host open houses? Will the agent get professional photographs clicked? Are these going to be charged to you? Will the estate agent accompany potential buyers to open houses or will he or she not be around? These kind of questions are important.
What’s the commission?
A real estate agent can charge anywhere between 1% to 6% commission, plus VAT. Is the estate agent willing to negotiate? An agent who will just slash down their fee without thinking twice probably isn’t going to work as hard as an agent who is determined to stick to a certain percentage and nothing lower. Don’t think of a lower commission fee as a good thing – after all, a good investment never comes cheap. Be sure to ask your agent if he or she follows a no sale, no fee rule. If that isn’t the case, you’ll be paying estate agent fees for a property that hasn’t been sold. Also, it is recommended to use just one real estate agent as opposed to three or four – that one agent will be more determined to sell the house when he or she knows there is no competition and any efforts will be fruitful.
Don’t fall for guarantees and deals
Some estate agents might offer guarantees like “If your home doesn’t sell, we’ll buy it”. Don’t fall for these without reading the terms and conditions. There will always be an ‘if’ clause which really doesn’t help you if your property doesn’t sell. Some offer deals like “We’ll pay an acceptable amount of cash for your home if it doesn’t sell”. Again, don’t get tempted because there will certainly be a clause that the estate agent won’t tell you. Choose an estate agent with whom you can have open communication. If your valuation is too high, your estate agent should tell you. If things need to be changed before putting up the property for sale, it is your estate agent’s job to let you know. Basically, don’t opt for deals and schemes, opt for a real estate agent who will get the job done.