Picking the right agent…
Real estate is constantly changing. Unfortunately, many agents are not. Technology, market knowledge, experience and financial stability are just a few important things to know before you hire an agent to sell your home. Obviously, I have an opinion on the matter, and I will share my thoughts with you as if I were going to be selling my home and what to look for.
The average agent obtains their license in about a thirty day process. The schooling teaches the law, but very little about the actual selling process, in fact most agents leave their training without even knowing how to fully and/or properly fill out a sale agreement. Seems wrong doesn’t it? Training usually happens in more of an intern/apprentice setting and, depending on the agency, many offices are not set up to train agents and the agents learn “on the fly”. How comforting to know, right? Having a well-trained agent with back up support is critical. Does the agent have a broker to go to for help if needed? Is there a sales manager looking over things? Believe it or not, many agencies let their agents “go rogue” and do their own thing. This personally scares the *&$%…outta me. I have worked with these agents and they simply are not trained properly. Nobody wants to deliberately cause harm, but lack of knowledge does exactly that. Hire an agent with experience and training. Technology is another huge thing that actually relates to my comment about financial stability. Technology is not cheap, but many agents are, and not by choice. There are those that live paycheck to paycheck and rarely re-invest back into their business. That’s not the agent you want selling your biggest asset. If you want to reach the buyers, you have to invest in technology. Technology is not the same as marketing necessarily. Our 3D mapping camera costs quite a bit, but it allows us to map out the home and produce 4K photos in an unlimited supply. Photos are the most important part of a listing, after the price. Here is where many agents fall down. They lack the funds to properly show off a home in photos and also in distribution. It costs money and it takes effort. They fail to realize that the photo order makes a huge difference as well as the quality. You have to be willing to try and fail on certain technology as well. You know the saying, “Don’t go to the grocery store when you are hungry?” Well, it’s the same when hiring an agent. Agents that are not successful can be somewhat compromised, meaning they may push you to sell so they can get a paycheck and not always have your best interest at heart. It’s sad but true. Delivering bad news is hard and not always well received, but you must pick an agent that will tell it like it is, even when it’s not in the interest of the seller. It’s probably the number one complaint sellers have. Their agent fails to communicate. Find an agent that will tell you the truth, has experience, is successful and can show it, embraces technology and is open to new ideas, and you will have the right agent.