Where to Start When Thinking of Selling Your House
Find someone with experience
You want a real estate agent who has at least five years’ experience selling homes like yours. The “selling homes like yours” is the most important part. If they have no experience in selling investment properties, they may get a few factors wrong or not have the right client base for a valuable, quick sale. Likewise, if they only have experience in selling investment properties, their tactics may be too hard for home buyers.
More experience also means a larger client base. It can mean a quicker sell.
Have a chat with the agents
Spend some time chatting to agents you’re considering to see how well they communicate. You want to find someone who is willing to communicate with you regularly about the sale of your home. You shouldn’t have to keep calling them for reports. Let the agents know that you preferably want someone from the area, since they’re more likely to know the selling points and know the local market better.
At MyTopAgent.co.nz we know who the top agents are, as every vendor we’ve dealt with completes a survey on how they performed. If they don’t perform, they’re moved off our list of top agents. This keeps our vendors up to date with people who are top of their game.
Talk to others
While you don’t just want to go off recommendations, you can still use them. Talk to a few people who have sold homes in the area. Find out who they used and whether they’d recommend them. While a house may look like it sold quickly, you may be surprised to find out just how much work the sellers put in rather than the estate agents.
You should also be able to talk to the agents for references. Good ones will jump at giving you a large list of previous clients who recommend them.
Check the licensing
The estate agent needs to be licensed. Check this point carefully, and make sure they’re licensed in your particular territory. You’ll also want to make sure they sell homes for a living, and it’s not a side business they run. Doing this full time means they will be able to put the time and effort into selling.
It’s also worth checking that they’re involved with a licensing body as this offers you more protection and means they know the code of standard for selling.