Selling your home is a big deal. Properties are usually the biggest investments we make in our lives, so when you sell one yours you want it to be a seamless process. It can be a very stressful time, so it’s extremely important to have a good working relationship with the real estate agent who will be selling your home.
You’ll be hearing from them a lot and you’re going to be making big decisions together. To work well together and to ensure you arrive at the best decisions together, there are a few things we can suggest here at The Henry Wong Team®. Let’s take a look at our tips on how to build a good relationship with your real estate agent.
Be Proactive in Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent
There’s a lot of real estate agents out there, and you need to find the right one for you. Start by checking their online social media presence. Do they have a large number of followers across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn? Do they regularly post content, and are their followers engaging with their content? An agent with a small social media following doesn’t have the capacity to advertise your property very far beyond
Another essential piece of research is to check out their online reviews. Look at Google, realestate.com.au and ratemyagent.com.au. If they have very few reviews or are poorly reviewed, probably best to avoid them as they might be a bit inexperienced. Agents with over 100 five-star reviews are the gold standard, with many years of experience.
Once you have a group of agents that appeal to you, arrange for one-on-one interviews with each. Ask them tough questions, such as how do they appeal to international buyers? Do they cross cultural divides? Can they give proof of social media enquiries on the last 10 sales?
Once you have questioned the agents and decided on the right one to sell your property, then its time to ensure your relationship gets off to a good start and you complement each other throughout the sales process.
Trust and Listen to Your Agent
You’ve chosen your agent because they’ve proved to you they’re an expert in what they do. It’s time to trust them, to understand that their knowledge and experience is being put to work for you for the best results possible. Trust must be the bedrock of any business relationship, and it can’t be any different in real estate.
Listen to them and take their advice. They know how to make your home look appealing in their marketing and to people who come for home inspections. So take their suggestions on board when it comes to presentation of your property.
Be Honest
Just as important as trust is honesty. If you expect honesty from your agent, as is completely natural, then be assured they’re expecting the same from you. Not only do they need to know everything about the property itself, but they also need to understand your expectations from the transaction and whether they’re reasonable. Real estate agents can’t read your mind, so make sure you let them know what you’re thinking.
If everyone is on the same page from the start then there are no surprises down the road.
Clear Communication
This is important in all types of business, but especially so in real estate. An experienced and good real estate agent will be in touch with you every day with updates on the marketing campaign and any enquiries that have come in.
By making yourself available to their communication efforts, it allows for two-way communication during which you can have honest discussions about the progress of the campaign. You can ask any questions you may have, and they can be accurately answered immediately.
If your agent can never get in touch with you or you never return messages or calls, it can lead to a murkiness in your relationship.
Professionalism
You’ve probably chosen an extremely professional real estate agent to see your home. They’re probably really busy with high demands on their time. It’ll really help your relationship if you match that level of professionalism. Don’t keep them waiting for meetings, return their calls and follow their advice, and you’ll find the real estate sale is as seamless as it possibly could be.
Remember You’re on the Same Team
You and your agent, you’re working towards the same goal. Rest assured they’re putting everything they can into selling their home, not only because that’s how they make a living but because their reputation depends on it. The real estate game isn’t easy and your agent is expert at handling the highs and lows of it, so put your faith in them and enjoy the journey together.
Be Patient
We’ve been blessed with a red-hot real estate market in Brisbane and Australia over the last year, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes it can take a while for your house to sell, and patience is required. Even when a buyer is found, there can be long waits for all conditions to be met and approvals made. So sit tight, and don’t expect things to be over in a matter of days.
If you have any questions about real estate and the prevailing property market conditions, why not get in touch with The Henry Wong Team®? With 129 five-star ratings on Google reviews, plus 101 on realestate.com.au and 109 on ratemyagent.com.au, you know that Henry has the experience and track record to answer your questions. Why not get in touch and see for yourself?
