Having a good real estate agent isn’t good enough. You need a great one; one that is able to sell a house within seconds. Picking a great real estate agent is easier said than done, but here are five tips to help you do it.

A communicative agent
Communication is essential in such a timely market. You need someone who is willing to be brutally honest as soon as possible, whether you’re buying or selling. When selling, you need someone to tell you how you can improve the chance of the house being bought. When buying, you need someone to tell you if your expectations are realistic or not. If you can’t find someone communicative from the start, look for another agent. Also, they need to do this communication themselves - you shouldn’t have to keep chasing them up!

Someone not pushing for the higher price
Real estate agents all have access to the same data. Get a market valuation from a registered valuer and talk with a local Top Agent and compare your notes. Their valuations should all be similar. But note, there will be a difference in a market rate and a valuation rate. The best estate agents won’t push for the highest price or the shortest time frame, they’ll be less stressful to deal with, and you may find yourself thinking “are they that interested.” The Top Agents are like this because they will want you to make the decisions, not a pushy sales person.

Offer advice based on the client’s needs
Sure, the agent wants to get the best price, but you may be on a tight time frame. That means you may want to sell for a little less in the shortest time possible. A great estate agent will listen to your needs and offer advice based on that. If you have more time, they’ll be able to take that into account. Time-based sales are often auctioned. Alternative methods are better depending on market conditions or your time frame.

They can give you references
Estate agents should have clients that they can turn to for references should you ask for them. If they can’t or they’re unwilling, this is a bad sign. You want someone who will jump at the chance to share as many references as possible to prove they’re a great estate agent.

They have experience with your type of property
Find out more about the type of properties the agent is used to selling or buying. Many will focus on one or two specific types, which could work in your favour. If they know your type of house, they may already have a potential buyer lined up or will have connections to help with a faster sale. If you’re buying, they’ll know the best areas, the best rates, and all those little details you need to know. Mytopagent.co.nz takes this point as a key reason to find your Top Agent, as too often we see the wrong agent selling the wrong type of house.

The vendor often gets blindsided with their reputation and uses the wrong agent
If they don’t have the experience, they could get some fundamentals wrong. This is especially the case if you’re looking for an investment property or apartments. 

​Do your research when it comes to real estate agent. You don’t want to deal with just anyone. You need an agent who will be able to help you find the perfect property or sell your home quickly to your dream buyer.