Real Estate
What to look for in a
real estate agent
Selling your home can be a daunting process, so our advice is to start by talking to family, friends and people from your local community groups as to whether they have used an agent locally and had a positive experience and found someone they can recommend.
An agent’s reputation is one of the key ways they get referrals and repeat business. It’s good to look for agents who can demonstrate knowledge of your local area and community, as this will help them with the marketing and explaining the benefits of your home, such as the location, to potential purchasers. Local agents also tend to have a network of potential buyers that they have been working with, or that they have access to through colleagues - ensuring your property is best positioned and marketed to potential buyers. Things to look for when choosing an agent: • Communicates in person first – a great agent will pick up the phone and call someone rather than emailing or texting first. 44 | B&R
They want to connect and keep a rapport going. They are also good listeners. They aim to minimise any misinterpretations that can arise via text or email (when tone can come across wrong, spell check does something random etc). While technology can help, being good at the fundamentals is essential. • Is an effective communicator – they get back to people when they say they will.
Vendors are usually extremely worried about selling their house so when an open home is held, they expect the salesperson to get back to them straight away with how many people came, feedback, next steps, etc.
Look for someone who goes the extra mile with communications to all parties. • Displays local knowledge – they can demonstrate knowledge of the local area and community, ideally with a network of potential buyers. This can help ensure your property is best positioned and marketed to potential buyers
www.buildandrenovate.co.nz
“
It’s good to look for agents who can demonstrate knowledge of your local area and community, as this will help them with the marketing and explaining the benefits of your home, such as the location, to potential purchasers.
”
• Experience and ambition – a great agent can talk to you about similar properties they’ve worked with, or situations they’ve faced and how they’ve fixed any issues that have arisen. Look for someone who talks in facts and specifics instead of generic sentences.
Whilst lengthy experience can be advantageous, it is important not to discount someone new to the industry as their ambition to succeed could prove even more beneficial.
• Positive testimonials – there is nothing more telling than hearing directly from someone who has worked with this agent before, whether that is someone you know personally that has worked with them, or if the agent will let you ring “Mr & Mrs Smith from 123 Green Street” and talk to you about their experience of dealing with that agent. We often recommend meeting a few agents before you choose who to work with. We also recommend visiting open homes they are hosting to understand how they present their vendor’s home. This will help you get more of a feel for how they work to get the best for your property. You can also look online and see how agents are using social media or digital marketing to increase coverage for the properties they are selling, and therefore see what you could expect for your property.
Article by Wendy Alexander, acting chief executive at the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ).
