The Right Agent

• 04 Dec 2014
• Features

The loudest advertisements don’t necessarily announce thebest product. Real estate agents are crucial to helping you make the rightproperty decisions. So instead of running behind the biggest campaigners,understand your requirements and scope out the best person to do the job for you.Not only can they offer you great insight and experience, they can also helpyou to put trivial matters out of the way so that you can focus on what isimportant.

Word of mouth: Talk to your family and friends and get areference. You could also ask your agent to introduce you to his/her previous clients.If you get a positive response from those close to you, it is more likely thatthe agent will deliver for you as well.Certification: check the credentials of the agent. Seewhat all organizations he is part of. Take a note of his previous sales andthat he has been in the business for a while. Make sure your agent is online: atech savvy agent means that he is updated with the latest and can contact you atthe earliest.

How busy is your agent?A popular, go-getter agent is a good thing. Check youragent’s schedule. One person cannot handle more than a dozen clients at a time.The busier he/she is the less time they have to spend with you. Check if theyhave assistants in case they are unavailable.Local knowledge: Your agent should obviously be wellversed with the locality. Talk about your new found property knowledge with youragent, if they know less than you, it might be the right time to look for anotherseasoned agent. If your agent lives in the area of business, that is an addedbonus. Their knowledge of local schools, shops etc. is valuable.

Establish a rapport: your agent should be your best palthroughout the business. They should be able to guide you through all the processesand simplify situations for you. A good agent will be able to understand your needsand show you many options with regard to your requirements. He/she should beable to furnish you with realistic situations instead of talking in the air. Anagent should be able to tell you where your property stands in the market presentlyand what it looks like in the future. They should also advice in how to presentyour property to a prospective client.Always do your bit of research before taking any decisionthat your agent asks you to take. Meet a couple of agents before you pick one. Onceyou have decided on an agent, get into a written agreement with them. Considerhow flexible you want the agreement and what all provisions need to be added.An agent can cut your efforts in the property business by more than half. Pickthe right person for the job.