There are many factors to consider when you are selecting an Agent to sell one of your greatest assets. You need to feel comfortable with your Agent and be able to trust them (as much as you can in a society that traditionally dislikes and distrusts real estate agents 😊). In the end it will usually come down to your gut feel about the individual, but we’ve put together a few tips for you to help you make your decision:
MYSTERY SHOP THEM!
We cannot stress enough, it is so important to mystery shop a few
of your local agents BEFORE calling any of them in to appraise your home.
Things you want to look for:
- Were they prepared with a brochure?
- Did they take your name and number?
- Were they friendly and respectful of you (maybe dress
in your daggiest outfit to see if that changes how they treat you)?
- How was the open run? Was there a good atmosphere?
- Could they answer questions about the property?
- After the open, did they follow you up to see if you
were interested or had feedback?
- Did you never hear from them again or did they harass
you for weeks on end?
All of these things should come into consideration when you are
choosing an Agent to sell your home. We actually have clients who have told us
that there are certain agents that they would never buy a house from because of
previous interactions with those agents at open inspections. Do you really want
to cut your pool of buyers because they don’t like your Agent?
PRICING BASED ON FACT
Any agent who gives you an appraisal on the value of your home
should have evidence to back up what they are saying. All real estate agents
should have access to some form of reporting statistics on the recent sales in
your area. They should be able to show you the research they have completed to
be able to give you an appraisal value of your home. If they can’t show you any
recent sales reports, then how did they come up with the value of your home? It
needs to be based in fact – and the facts need to be correct. For example, if
your home is a three bedroom, one bathroom, single carport home, then showing
you that the four bedroom, two bathroom, double garage home next door sold
three years ago for $550,000 is not relevant to you at all. But, the house on
the other side of the street with three bedrooms, one bathroom and single
carport that sold six months ago for $350,000 IS very important information
when it comes to pricing your home.
CHECK OUT THEIR MARKETING
A lot of people think that their home will speak
for itself in terms of selling. The problem is, you need people to come to the
open inspection first – and preferably A LOT of them. The more people you have
at every open, the more competition and the more competition, the better sale
price you’ll achieve. The advertising of your home needs to be of the very
highest standard to get as many buyers through the door as possible. Things to
look at when you are checking out all the local agents in the area are:
- What are their signboards like? Is it advertising your
home or just the Agent?
- What are their brochures like? Are they detailed or
just one page printed at the office with a few words and a couple of
photos?
- What is their internet advertising like?
- Are they pushing using the newspaper? If so, are they
doing that for you or for their own profile?
- Do they advertise at their office? Where is it located?
On a busy main road where people never walk past or in a popular shopping
centre?
- Do they have a property magazine distributed in the
area? How often is it published? Does it cost extra to have your property
advertised in there or is it part of a standard package?
- What’s their property photography like? Professional or
do it themselves?
- What do their floorplans look like? Hand-drawn/black
and white/colour?
- Do they provide a complimentary home stylist visit?
Selecting an Agent is a huge decision, and the wrong choice can
cost you, but hopefully following these few tips and asking a few key questions
will go a long way to helping you make the right choice.
Ph: (08) 8251 3249
Email: info@spartners.com.au
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