9 Qualities to Look For When Hiring a Real Estate Agent
Hiring a real estate agent eliminates the dirty work needed when buying or selling houses. Homeowners and prospect buyers often face the daunting task of understanding the market, interpreting legal documents, and getting the best deals out of every transaction.
According to ServicePros Real Estate Agents Georgia, “Competent real estate agents are conscious of putting sellers and buyers in a win-win situation. This is why topnotch real estate companies look for these qualities when hiring their agents.
If you have a real estate property that you want to put in the market, hiring a real estate agent is essential. Here are nine qualities to look for when hiring a real estate agent:
Knowledge of the Location
Nobody knows a location better than a local. Realtors who live closer to the communities they sell understand certain conditions like the cost of living, weather and climate, risk of flooding, faultlines, available amenities, and access to transportation and commercial centers.
An agent who is well-versed about the community would naturally provide these types of information without relying on Google search. It is like talking to a neighbor, only that the ideal real estate candidate would not gossip about personal matters.
License and Good Standing
The first step into filtering the best realtor out of a pool of applicants is to determine if they have the necessary licenses to operate.
The Real Estate Authority is a government agency where realtors and brokers apply for a professional license. This is to ensure professionalism in the field and to safeguard consumer protection.
Independent organizations like the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand, Inc. and the NZ Realtors Network have reputable and productive agents and brokers under their umbrella. Affiliation to these organizations boosts not only the credibility of the service provider but also the chances of buying or selling properties at the right price.
Communication and Listening Skills
For realtors, it is easy to get straight into the business and make an offer. For the buyer or seller, they need to feel understood and connected to the person who is trying to close their property.
A buyer wants to know all the information available about a property so he can make a sound decision. A seller, on the one hand, wants to work with an agent who is enthusiastic and persuasive enough to charm buyers into closing the deal.
The ability to communicate effectively and listen intently are core qualities of an excellent real estate agent.
Good Negotiation Skills
Property buy-and-sell is not a glamorous job. There are hagglers and bargain hunters who are always on the lookout for the lowest price, even when the quality of the house does not speak for it.
A competent real estate agent can represent the client fairly without the need to criticize low-ballers. He exudes an air of authority and can turn disapproval into a winning streak for both parties.
If needed, this kind of realtor knows how to walk away when the deal is not worth every effort or time spent.
Local Market Expertise
Property seekers in Atlanta have limited options to choose from as the number of houses for sale decreased in October compared to a year before.
When the supply diminishes, prices for these listings increase dramatically. Sellers are likely to benefit from highly-priced properties, but this would also make it more difficult to find cash buyers and make a quick sale.
Agents who are knowledgeable in the local housing market know how to turn these downsides into opportunities. They can present the bigger picture in a way that highlights long-term returns. He can devise a pricing strategy that is acceptable to both the seller and the buyer.
More importantly, an ideal candidate must know how to use historical data to make intelligent assumptions while still encouraging the client to keep options open.
Engaging Personality
Any homeowner can choose to sell or buy a property by himself, but he will quickly realize that getting deals relies a lot on the personality.
Not everyone can be exciting when pitching a potential sale. The agent has to have that engaging persona to keep the client invested in the conversation.
However, there is no exact formula on how to interact with different personalities of the buyers or sellers. It takes a lot of practice and experience with people to succeed in this field.
Tech Savviness
It is not surprising to know that the majority of home buyers or sellers are turning to technology to help them get the job done.
A study from the National Association of Realtors showed that 9 out of 10 home buyers use the internet to look for their ideal homes. More than half of the surveyed population do a web search as the first step into the process.
Real estate agents need to be up-to-speed with these innovations so that they can catch the right client at the perfect time.
Strong References
Individual home buyers or sellers have to make sure that their realtors are backed up with some reputable references. Another make-or-break qualification is the sale rate or how fast an agent can close each deal.
Property owners need proactive agents because they do not want their homes sitting on the market without producing revenue.
Problem-Solving Mindset
Problem-solving skills are crucial in any industry, especially in real estate.
The ideal realtor should know how to get through or around difficult situations that hinder the property owner or manager from obtaining successful transactions. Other challenges that might come up include issues with the documentation and unresponsive buyers or sellers.
A competent real estate agent can solve these problems and move on to the next steps.
Hiring a real estate agent could be the single most helpful decision for any property owner. Any agent can try to close a deal, but these nine qualities should help them and their clients make successful sales.