5 signs an agent is 'the one' to sell your home

They say that buying a property can be the biggest decision you'll ever make, but is this lofty spot actually taken up by selling your home? After all, you're branching back out in the property market to buy a house, only now you may have the added stress of trying to fetch a great price on the property you already have.

Get the timing wrong, and you may end up losing money. One study shows that in some parts of Australia, as many as one in four home resales come in at a loss¹. So how do you get on the right side of the ledger and get peace of mind when selling your home? For some, the key lies in their real estate agent. Here are a few telltale signs that an agent may be the right one for you. What makes a good real estate agent when you're selling?

1) They back up their work

With this in mind, consider checking up on other people's research and market valuations – does it match up with what your agent is saying?Now, we don't mean they back their work up on a portable hard drive. Rather, when an agent suggests an asking price for your property, they provide all the right details to reinforce how they came to that figure. A comparative market analysis is can be a useful tool for this, as it compiles sale prices and values of similar properties in your area.

2) They follow up on their promises

Ever had someone say they'll get right back to you, and you don't hear from them for days? It's a problem for people selling their homes with real estate agents too. A recent survey of people selling their house showed 15 per cent of respondents saying their agents' ability to follow up was poor². In particular, this included checking back with vendors after open homes or inspections, and leaving people to do their own paperwork. An agent that gets back to you and goes through the fine print can be an important asset as you sell.

3) They've got a good track record

Further research highlights why people select their real estate, agent. In one survey, 58 percent of vendors picked an agent because they saw them sell another home. Meanwhile, 36 per cent picked an agent based on recommendations from friends and family². One thing these have in common is a good track record for the agent.

4) They treat everyone as a buyer

If an agent has a history of being selective about who they contact, or tend to neglect to call everyone who visits the open home, they might not be doing everything they can to sell your property.When you host an open home or list a property for sale, you never know who will end up being the buyer. That's why better-selling agents treat everyone that interacts with the marketing campaign as a prospective buyer.

5) Knowledge is power

Perhaps most importantly, cheapest may not be the best. You might have to pay more for an agent that demonstrates excellent knowledge of the local market, but it could be worth it in the long run.

It's a good idea to give appropriate value to an agent's market knowledge and connections over their price.

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Source:

1 - CoreLogic
2 - CoreLogic
Domain
Queensland Government