What You Should Think About before Hiring a Real Estate Agent before Moving
Posted on 20/08/2014
Have you been discouraged by all the stories you have heard of buyers/sellers who are trying to make a good deal and everything has just fallen apart all because of a bad choice of agent. Well, these are mistakes that can be undone. Just be careful, critical and follow these simple steps and you will be fine.
First of all be sure of what you want. Put up a plan of your budget, so that you can be well prepared when the agent offers you their services. Also be sure of what your goal is before hiring someone; they shouldn’t help you find your goal, this you are perfectly capable of doing yourself. So start with writing a plan and go through it with your family, is there anything we have missed? After your goal is set you will have a picture of what you need help with. So now it is time to start doing research. A great tool is of course the Internet. Use something as simple as Google and start looking around for people who are specialized in what you want help with, maybe preferably in your own community or the one to where you are about to move. And do not be humble here, only the best one is good enough for you and your family. These are humans, so basically some are more perfect than others and all of them have more or less the same price. So maybe even someone that takes more money for their services are worse in what they do than someone cheaper or just less experienced in your area.
Have in mind that the best ones are the hardest to get. So if you find someone rather easily who is ready to start working even before meeting you, it is not a good idea to go further. The best ones demand your loyalty as much as you demand theirs. Make sure you have an agreement (preferably written) before starting anything. Another important factor here is references. Have others hired this agent before and what did they think? What tasks did he or she help these people with and are were their goals similar to yours?
When you have decided to go for an agent there are some things you should ask them. How long have they been doing what they are doing? Have they fulfilled similar goals to yours before? Prepare for an interview where you should have done a lot of research. The worst thing you can do is to put your unknowing and inexperienced head in their hands. Most people would take advantage of that. So make sure that you know your stuff.
You should make sure that the agent is willing to work on weekends since that are when most viewings take place. Also let the agent defend themselves and let you know just why you should go with them and what they can guarantee you.
When you have an agent and you do not feel satisfied, do not feel guilty, fire them. This should be your time and this person is getting paid to help you. If they are doing a poor job, they shouldn’t be doing it at all. This is a rough business, no doubt, and you should be well prepared and have lots of support around you.
