Property 101: Andrew Winter on selecting the right estate agent
We sell our homes for all kinds of reasons, but what nearly every vendor has in common is passing on the sale of their biggest asset to a virtual stranger - the real estate agent.
Selling Houses Australia presenter Andrew Winter shares his expert advice to ensure you pick the right one for the job!
Big billboards, brands and flashy adds are all well and good but if you don’t have a good rapport with your agent it could all be for nothing.
It’s a good idea to spend a bit of time making sure you have picked the right one – think of it as a job interview for the right agent and right brand.
There are a number of key factors to finding the right one for you:
- Does the real estate agent you’re considering seem genuinely keen to sell your home or do they have bigger fish to fry?
- The number one agent in your area may be good but number two may be more hungry.
- Fish around online to see what kind of properties different agents in your area sell. Some agencies specialise in certain styles and price brackets.
It’s false economy to hire someone with experience selling period homes if yours is the only new build.
So you’ve checked out the internet, interviewed a number of agents and made your selection, now it’s time to sign on the dotted line.
- Make sure your agreement contains an estimate of total fees, charges and expenses.
- Understand their fee structure and pin them down to a sales figure they expect to achieve.
- If the offers are falling short of the mark and the agent is encouraging you to take lower offers this could be time to re-negotiate the fee.
- There commission is a big chunk of money and if you are getting less than you expected so should they!
- Don’t feel intimidated by your agent – this is meant to be a partnership after all.
- If you really are unhappy go to the agency principle and express your thoughts.
- Don’t be too concerned about rocking the boat there are always another agents.
You wouldn’t buy a house without seeing it or doing your research – the same applies for selling. Get it right and you could be in the money.
