The Importance of Hiring A QUALITY Real Estate Agent
We are seeing the real estate market shift and change again. This means that hiring a QUALITY real estate agent has become more important than ever. Take a few minutes to read below the benefits of hiring a real estate agent and what qualities you want to look for in a real estate agent.
The Benefits
A Real Estate Professional will understand your area's neighborhoods, cities & towns.
When you look to buy a home, it is more than just loving the house. It's the neighborhood, the school district, the city, and what each of these offers. It's building a well-rounded home search, so you find your dream home.
As a seller, having an agent who knows the local area and the pros (and cons) of your home's neighborhood is vital in getting you top dollar for your home.
They can narrow down the value of the home.
As a buyer, a real estate agent will help negotiate the best price for the home you are looking to buy. But, it doesn't just stop there. Although the price tends to be the most important, a quality real estate professional will know how to make your offer the most competitive within your budget and ability. That's not to say it always works out, but it helps to have someone navigate this process to give you the biggest edge you can get.
As a seller, a real estate agent will help you understand your home's market value and walk you through how they came up with that figure. They can also offer guidance on making your home more sellable, making it easier to get it listed and sold in a reasonable time frame. This may not seem as necessary right now because of the market we recently were in; however, we see shifts within the market nationally and locally, and this will become increasingly important as we continue to move forward.
The Paperwork
This alone is worth its weight in gold. Real estate transactions come with a lot of paperwork and legalities, from when you list or submit an offer to when you get to the closing table.
A quality real estate agent will help keep the transaction moving as seamlessly as possible while ensuring deadlines are handled promptly. They will ensure all T's are crossed and the I's are dotted from listing to closing (or offer to closing).
Connections
The number of connections an excellent real estate agent has can be priceless. Many have built relationships with other real estate agents, stagers, photographers, handymen, and community members.
For a seller, these connections are priceless to make the home more sellable (i.e., staging, home fixes, beautiful pictures to post online...) And because of their friendships in the real estate world, they can also spread the word high and low about your home being on the market. The more avenues to get your home in front of people's eyes, the better your chance of selling it.
As a buyer, all these resources can be priceless when looking for your dream home. You never know who has (or knows someone who has) a hidden gem coming soon. Suppose you've exhausted your home search through the usual channels. In that case, your real estate agent can reach out to their connections to see if anyone might have anything fitting your criteria.
Knowledgeable
Finding someone with a passion for real estate will reflect in their willingness and ability to stay up to date on the local market conditions, as well as grow in understanding and knowledge through continuing education. This allows them to better serve you throughout your home buying or selling process.
So - with some of those benefits out of the way, what should you look for when hiring a real estate professional?
Characteristics of an Excellent Real Estate Agent
Problem Solvers
As much as we would all love a seamless transaction every single time, that isn't always the case. You will want someone who can take a possible situation and be diligent and capable of creating a solution for it. Obviously, there will be things that are out of everyone's control, but a quality real estate agent will be able to problem solve many of the situations that arise.
Integrity/Honesty
This should go without saying, but it is so very important that the person you work with carries a high level of honesty and integrity. Purchasing real estate is a substantial financial investment, and you want the person on your team to be diligent in pursuing things honestly. You also want someone willing to say the hard thing when it needs to be said. Sometimes we get wrapped up in a home and forget some of the most important things we had on our "needs" list. An excellent real estate agent is going to remind you of those things so that you are making the best decision you can for yourself.
Solid Work Ethic
Again, this probably doesn't have to be said out loud, but work ethic is everything when looking for a quality real estate agent. There are so many details and deadlines to navigate within real estate. It requires someone willing and able to put in the work day in and day out to make sure things are done accurately and completely.
Loves Helping People
Being a part of the real estate industry truly requires a sense of service and a desire to help others. It can be full of intense moments, late nights, early mornings, and chaos at times. Finding an agent with a heart who genuinely loves serving others shows, especially in these moments.
Detail Oriented
As we said before, there are a lot of deadlines and details to keep track of. A lot of T's to cross and I's to dot. This requires a strong ability to pay attention to minor details throughout the transaction.
A Love of Learning
Real estate is constantly evolving. Legalities change. Markets change. Selling (or buying) one house may not be the same as the next house. There are differences between cities/towns, different subdivisions, farmland vs. in-city homes. There are so many variables between various homes and where they reside. A real estate agent who loves learning is necessary when looking for a quality real estate agent.
So what are your thoughts? What other characteristics might you find vital in hiring a real estate agent? We would love to hear from you! And if you are in the market to buy, sell, or even both, we would love to have a cup of coffee and a conversation with you. You can reach out to us here: sallteam.com/contact.
