Once again, as we approach that time of year, at what feels like a million miles per hour, we are pushing ourselves to complete the infamous “to do list” before Christmas rolls around.
If one of those items on your list is “listing your home,” time constraints may push you to make a quick decision about which agent to choose to handle what is likely to be your biggest cash asset.
Over the last month we have received many requests via our website http://www.independentrealestateconsulting.com.au for advice on interviewing agents.
An article has just appeared in the Canberra City Times where we had a little help and it covers this topic perfectly.
“The art of finding a great agent…
Regardless of the value of your home or its location, you still need to get it right at the time of sale. Given the size of the dollars involved, this means you have to put in more effort to understand the process of what you put into your soccer tips.
The first thing to realize is that the goal of selling is to maximize price. And this is where a great real estate agent can make a difference. I said great, not just anyone.
Have you ever gone to a few home showings and noticed the difference in how agents operate? Ignore agents who just sit and wait for someone to hand them a check because the one you want working for you at the time of the sale is the one actually working for the best sale, the one who is actively screening prospects. buyers and follows them after the sale. exposure, engaging them and getting the best deal.
Yes, getting someone like that to work for you will cost you money. But you don’t work for free, so don’t expect the best agents to work for free either.
Which brings us to DIY vendors. Sell it yourself by all means, if you are good enough. But don’t do it yourself if your goal is just to save $1000 in commissions. I would prefer my agent raise the price by an additional $5000 or $10,000 and we would split the top. My house is not a piece of reduced cheese and any agent who believes it can go sell hamburgers. And this brings us to the art of the deal.
Advice on the sale of real estate, Independent Real Estate Consulting (IREC). He just posted a quick guide to using and choosing a real estate agent. Their biggest regret is that too many inexperienced sellers assume they’ll automatically get a good deal from their agent, as if all agents are somehow as good as each other.
They believe that the big differentiator is in the negotiation and that is why they say that before you hire a smooth talking agent, you should always take a closer look and give it a try.
Start by asking what your trading range is. IREC says a big red flag is when a prospective agent says they allow, say, a 10 percent range because that means the best offer you’ll get will likely only be 90 percent of your asking price.
Agents who talk like that are already in excuse mode. You want them to beat the asking price, not use it as an upper limit. Any clown can sell a house for its market value, but the powerful are the ones who can sell it for more than the market price.
IREC also says you should ask them how they would answer classic giveaway questions like “How long has this property been on the market?”, “Why is the seller selling?” or “How much will the seller accept?” If your answers don’t convince you, why would they convince a potential buyer?
Finally, IREC says that you should try to negotiate with your agent regarding your rates, not to pressure them down, but to see how they respond. If the agent is easy to squeeze, then that’s another red flag because it probably means they’ll easily drop the price for an aggressive buyer.
Remember that your job as a real estate agent is not to sell your house, but to make money from it. Finding them will require you to shop around, but it will be worth it.”
Alex Dunnin managing editor of the Rainmaker Group.
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