Choosing the right agent to sell your home.

Posted on March 19th 2014

Choosing and agent to sell your home shouldn’t be a decision made lightly. The right choice could see you with thousands more in your pocket… And the wrong choice, well thousands less!

So what to look for?! Below is a few handy tips when looking for the right agent.

Local knowledge is paramount! Just because your sisters, husbands, brother is an agent on the other side of town and he’ll do you a good deal with reasonable fees and a quick turn around… Does not mean he’s the agent for you.

Local knowledge isn’t just about having an office in the suburb. Local agents know the ins and outs of their local market,  whether it be the last sale in a particular street, the record held in the suburb, what the market is currently doing, what the buyers are looking for and what they are willing to pay for it!

Being a local agent also means they have a local database! This could mean hundreds of potential buyers at their fingertips, just waiting for a property like yours to hit the market. And when it does… Your local agent will know exactly the type of buyer to look for.

So you have multiple ‘local’ agents?

Then put them to the test. At the end of the day, they are working for you… And this will most likely the biggest fee you will ever pay for a professional service, so make them earn it.

On average, people looking to sell will interview upto three agents for the job. This is a good amount and I wouldn’t recommend going too far over this figure. Three different agents will give you three different valuations, three different fees and three different strategies. This is enough to get your mind ticking and the ball rolling in terms of what your property is worth, whether its worth selling and how you’ll go about it.

Key points when choosing an agent:

• Are they someone you feel confident in and comfortable around? Because you want your buyers to feel the same!

• Do they have  a solid track record in the suburb or street? Ask them to show you what they have achieved.

• Remember, the lower the fee isnt always a good thing. Good agents are worth their fee structure. If you try and negotiate, thats fine… If you come out loosing, then that’s a sign of an agent with solid negotiating skills, you may pay more for it, but that’s a skill you want on your side.

• Agents can tend to do a lot of talking… Is what they are saying useful? Engaging? Helpful? Make sure the agent you choose is all of the above as they are the ones convincing your potential buyer to purchase your home!

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