Buying, selling, or even renting a property can be an overwhelming and intimidating experience for many people. Whether you are a first-time home buyer or a seasoned real estate investor, it is important to have the right real estate agent to help you navigate through the process. When selecting a real estate agent, there are several characteristics that an excellent real estate agent should have. We discuss these below.
Characteristics of the right real estate agent
- Trust: As with any relationship, it is important that you are able to trust your real estate agent. In addition to being able to trust him/her with access to your home (if you are a seller), you will also need to trust your real estate agent to professionally deal with other agents, buyers, sellers, or landlords. If possible, you should try to obtain references for recent clients that the agent may have assisted as well.
- Knowledge: It is extremely important that your real estate agent is knowledgeable in the all aspects of the real estate transaction, as well as your local market. A best practice is to prepare a list of questions about your local market to discuss when interviewing a real estate agent. A professional real estate agent should take the time to answer your questions confidently and clearly.
- Professionalism/customer service skills: As the saying goes: “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.” This certainly applies to hiring a real estate agent. Just like any job interview, you must remember that you are seeing the best possible version of the person that you are interviewing. Therefore, it you notice that they are late for your meeting, not dressed professionally, or fully prepared, this is not a good sign.
- Communication and accessibility: In speaking with a real estate agent, they should be able to clearly and confidently answer your questions. Ideally, when discussing home valuations, they should be able to provide data to justify their opinions. In addition, a great real estate agent should be easily accessible. After all, there is nothing worse than trying to reach a real estate agent with questions about a property and not receiving a response via phone call, text, or email.
- Social media & online presence: In this day and age, a true real estate professional will have an online presence that includes but is not limited to a website & also various social media sites. The days or simply placing a listing on the MLS with a classified advertisement in the local newspaper are over. Nowadays, over 90% of home searches begin online. In addition, social media provides an excellent platform to market services and properties. When interviewing a real estate agent, feel free to inquire about their online presence and visit those outlets. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & LinkedIn are all important social media outlets for top real estate agents!
Summary
Hiring the right real estate agent can have significant financial impacts in addition to making the process either seamless or stressful. The good news is that in today’s market there are various ways to research a real estate agent online, in addition to interviewing them in person. For example, ideally a professional real estate agent will have an “IDX feed” on their website. Essentially, this is a feed of listings directly from the local MLS so that you can search for properties right on their site. With more searches taking place on mobile devices these days, the website should be mobile ready as well. Even better, a home search app such as the Live South Florida Realty, Inc. “Florida Home Search App” will make your property search even easier! In addition to a real estate agent’s knowledge and professionalism, the more active in the local community that they are, the more likely they are to be well connected. This can be beneficial when marketing a property or being aware of when a property may be coming to the market.
At Live South Florida Realty, Inc. we have assisted many clients with their real estate needs. Are you looking to buy or sell a property in South Florida? Now more than ever, it is critical to have a qualified real estate team and the proper search tools behind you. Live South Florida Realty, Inc., has been a leader in the South Florida market for many years. Let our team of professionals assist you with buying or selling your piece of paradise today! In addition, our trusted “Florida Home Search” app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. With real-time MLS feeds, this app lets you set your own alerts to notify you as soon as a property meeting your needs hits the market. Furthermore, it will also let you know of recent closed sales in your area so that you may be even more educated on the market. Be sure to download this app for your smartphone or tablet today!
