Choosing A Real Estate Agent

23 Oct 2023| Posted by: Dave Tidbold

Choosing the right real estate agent is key in helping you succeed in pulling off a smooth, stress-free, and profitable property sale. But with so many real estate agents out there, where do you start when trying to find the right one for you?

Asking these six questions will help narrow your search and find the best real estate agent for you:

What’s the best pricing method to sell this property? Price or no price?

Research has proven buyers prefer a price. Homes with no price repel buyers. Buyers also offer lower when they do not have a price guide. A great real estate agent will know what your property is worth and guide you as to the best starting price for your property.

A great real estate agent will assess everything your property offers before advising you which strategy best suits your situation and market conditions.

However, as a rule, advertising the price will give the buyer a guide and with current market competition we’ve seen many properties sell above the asking price.

How should we advertise and market the property?

Smart marketing will generate interest from the right buyers. Ask the agent how they plan to create excitement and interest around your property. Choose an agent that can give you a SMART MARKETING campaign and an agent who will proactively market to their existing database.

When it comes to advertising costs, make sure it is NOT your money. Many agents advertise to promote themselves, not your home.

 What is your track record like?

Sellers should consider the 'long track record' of both the agent and the agency. Real estate agents often move around and agencies change hands. Any competent agent will be more than happy to prove their successful track record in selling. Reviews from websites such as realestate.com.au and Google are preferred. Beware of websites like RateMyAgent that only show agents who pay to advertise there, and the agents control what reviews get shown.

How much is all of this going to cost?

A good real estate agent will be able to give you an accurate estimate of how much it’s going to cost you to sell, including selling commission, fees, advertising and marketing costs. The golden rule of selling a property is, do not pay anything to an agent until you have sold and settled.

Will you GUARANTEE your service?

Insist on a service guarantee – one that allows you to terminate the agent’s services WITHOUT PENALTY if you are not receiving the service your agent promised you at the listing presentation. 

The best agents will give you a written guarantee before you sign anything with them. If not, DON'T SIGN ANYTHING!

What are the benefits and why should I hire you over another agent?

Any real estate agent who really wants your business will be able to CONFIDENTLY tell you why you should choose them. You may think all real estate agents are the same, but this is far from the truth.

Ask yourself: “Do I feel comfortable with this person handling the sale of my greatest financial asset?” If the answer is ‘no’, do not hire the agent.

Remember, if you sell with us you will be safe. We offer you our SMARTRE SALE Strategy which includes a NO SALE, NO CHARGE service with ZERO upfront advertising costs, and of course a written SERVICE GUARANTEE.