Are you thinking about upsizing or downsizing to a new home? Are you considering investing in Newburyport, Georgetown, or Ipswich real estate? Whether this is your first home or your tenth, you need to work with a real estate expert! Buying or selling a home can often be a complicated process. A real estate agent can take the guesswork out, streamlining the entire real estate transaction. Read on to find out how to confidently choose an excellent real estate agent to work with.
1. Get referrals from family, friends, and colleagues
Sometimes, the best referrals come from the people you know and trust. You should ask your family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and other people you know for referrals. In fact, 68% of people find their real estate agent through a referral made by someone they trust. By getting a referral from family, friends, or colleagues, you can find out what real estate agents they have worked with and, most importantly, their overall satisfaction. You can then ask for more details, such as the speed and overall quality of the service. If they were happy with the real estate transaction, then chances are higher that the real estate agent can provide the same level of service for you.
2. Check the real estate agent’s website
Whether you are searching for homes for sale in Newburyport or selling your beloved home in Georgetown or Ipswich, you need to make sure that your real estate agent can expertly use innovative technology. Consider visiting their website, which should look professional with high-quality photos and videos. Considering that 97% of buyers use the internet in their home search, you must work with a tech-savvy agent. A realtor who can expertly navigate the online sphere shows that they know about current technological trends, which they can then use to help you sell or buy a home proficiently.
3. Interview 3-4 prospective real estate agents
Sometimes, a referral or browsing a realtor’s website is not enough. The best way to know if the real estate agent is a good fit for you is by meeting them in person. Consider interviewing three to four prospective real estate agents. By interviewing, you can ask them to elaborate on their experience, credentials, and their previous real estate transactions. The following are a few questions you could ask to help gauge if the realtor is an excellent fit for you!
Do you work full-time or part-time?
Some real estate agents work full-time, while others are on the clock part-time. Knowing if a real estate agent works full time shows their dedication and commitment toward buying or selling homes. Furthermore, you can see how much time they have to spend helping you sell your home or sift through potential properties to find the perfect dream home for you!
How long does the typical real estate process take?
On average, it can take around 50 days from initial consultation to final closing. However, just like every luxury home is different, so is every real estate transaction. Some homes will close in as little as a week, while others may take several months. By asking your real estate agent how long their real estate transactions typically take, you can learn many things from the methods used to the competitiveness of the market. You can also use this information to determine how long it could potentially take to buy or sell homes for sale in Newburyport, Georgetown, and everywhere in between!
What professional contacts do you have?
During the process of buying or selling your home, you might need the services of a variety of different people. From home inspectors and appraisers to professional stagers and cleaners, there are a lot of people involved in the buying or selling process. Many of these contractors can come from referrals made by your real estate agent. That is why working with a real estate agent with an extensive network of professional contacts can be vital in buying or selling a home seamlessly with little hassle.
How will you communicate with me?
A real estate agent needs to have excellent communication skills. They need to be able to keep you abreast of everything that is going on, from finding potential homes to establishing a negotiation strategy. Consider asking your real estate agent what their preferred method of communication is. You can also tell them how you prefer to communicate, whether by phone, text, or email. By knowing how your real estate agent will communicate with you, you can be better prepared.
4. Ask for references
At the conclusion of every interview, you should consider asking for references. Your real estate agent can provide you with a list of clients they have worked with in the past. You can then call these clients to ask about anything from home-buying to the real estate agent’s personality. Clients can often give you invaluable insight into what it was like to work with the realtor. References can sometimes be an unbiased way to see if the prospective real estate agent would be a good fit for you!
5. Trust your intuition
Since you will be most likely working with your real estate agent throughout the entire home buying or selling process, you must select someone you have great chemistry with. When first meeting or interviewing your real estate agent, you should consider how well you can vibe with them. From initial pre-listing consultations to final walk-throughs, your realtor will be there for you. Consider if they can represent your best interest and if any difference of opinion would stand in the way. Your realtor needs to be as invested in helping you buy or sell a home just as much as you are. Ask yourself how you feel about the realtor when deciding if they are an excellent fit. Chances are, your intuition is correct.
Interested in buying or selling your home? Schedule a consultation with a qualified real estate agent such as Alissa Christie, who can guide you on the intricacies of the real estate process. From finding your dream home to staging your home to sell quickly and for top dollar, Alissa can assist you!