Whether you are selling your childhood home or investing in a property, finding and choosing a real estate agent is a big decision. Selecting a knowledgeable real estate agent to partner with can prevent many mistakes from happening, thus saving you a lot of money. The right one will be by your side from start to finish, market your property properly, negotiate with potential buyers or sellers, etc. Choosing the right one for you will play an important role in finding a price that suits you. Remember, not all real estate agents are created equal! To help you narrow down your search, here’s a list of the top five things to look for in a real estate agent.
1. Reviews
People love to share their worst and best experiences on platforms like Rate My Agent, Google, and even Facebook. It’s how other potential consumers or clients weed out the bad from the good. One negative review can make or break someone’s decision to hire that agent, just like one glowing review can do the opposite. Reviews are public referrals and endorsements and are a great way to see if an agent matches what you are looking for.
2. Perks and packages
Most agents have commission packages that range from basic to bougie. When you hire a real estate agent, you are interviewing them – so asking for their packages and seeing what you are getting for the commission you are paying for is VERY important. My basic “Purple Bricks” style package still gives the client my expert marketing strategy, access to my approved industry professionals, like myself, and more.
3. Community knowledge and presence
When you are hiring an agent, you want someone who knows the area they are buying/selling in and other professionals to network with. This is where referrals come into play; if an agent is not familiar with the area, they will often refer a client to another local agent to ensure that the client is getting the best resources. Suppose an agent isn’t able to recommend a local restaurant for your celebratory dinner, a contractor for any renovations you may want to tackle, or a plumber for any leaky issues that come up. In that case, you may want to steer clear.
4. Experience
We all have to start somewhere, but even those who are just starting are paired with more seasoned agents to help them navigate the process. Asking the agent you are looking to hire some basic questions like how long they have worked in the industry, how many transactions they have completed, do they have experience with their kind of home/transaction can help make your decision on who to hire.
5. Compatibility
Go with your GUT! No matter how many lists you read, agents you interview, or commission packages you look over, you can’t argue with gut feeling. If you don’t jive well with the agent you are interviewing, but they have outstanding credentials, then when the time comes to have hard conversations, ask for referrals, advice, or help with a part of the process, then you may find yourself avoiding them.
If you’re looking for a real estate agent in Brantford, ON, reach out to Chris Costabile.
Driven to improve upon the result of my last deal and motivated by the adrenaline of building value and security in my clients’ real estate portfolios, I thrive on the ultimate challenge of serving the residents of my community with integrity, teamwork principles, and genuine intentions for Brantford’s prosperity as a growing city.
I offer my services to clients interest in buying or selling a house. I even have a mortgage calculator on my website to make the process easier. I serve clients across Brantford, Paris, Burford, St. George, Brant, Ayr, Princeton, Norwich, Woodstock, Delhi, Waterford, Norfolk County, Caledonia, Hagersville, and Haldimand.
To learn more about the services I offer, please click here. To get in touch with me, please click here.