How to Compare Real Estate Agents

If you are looking to sell a property, it can be a real hassle trying to choose a real estate agent from the larger pool of top real estate agents in Sydney. Unfortunately, it's not a choice that you can afford to take lightly especially when you know that a wrong agent can make you spend more money than necessary, leave you unsettled and unable to move on to focus on other things.

What does a Real Estate Agent do?

If your definition is incorrect, your expectation may be flawed. As such, an understanding of just what a real estate agent does will certainly help you make a better comparison between agents and choose the better one for you. Sure, a real estate agent can help a buyer find a property to acquire but his work is primarily for the seller. They work to ensure your property is sold at the best possible price based on prevailing market conditions in your location.

They can advise on how to make your home more appealing to a potential buyer, and also help in advertising your home sale using relevant platforms from listing sites to newspaper ads, signposts, window displays etc. They can also point you in the direction of what to expect in terms of the sale price (based on knowledge about other properties in the location), expected turnover time (how long it may take to make the sale), strategies you can employ and how you should sell your home (privately or via auction).

What to Look Out For When Choosing an Agent

When making your comparison between agents, here are five things you should look out for

1. Licensure and Accreditation

Real estate agents should hold a practising license for the area where they work. Much more, some belong to professional associations. Typically, professional associations expect more in terms of professionalism from their members. Thus in choosing, a real estate agent with a license is better than one who can’t provide any, and one who is accredited by a professional association is way better than one with just a license. Always make sure to check for the license and accreditation.

2. Current listing

How many houses your potential agent has on their plate can give you an idea of how much time they will be able to give to your home sale. The lesser, the better.

3. Past Sales Record

Such history, if available, can give you an idea of how successful the agent has been with home sales, how long it took and what kind of properties they were. You can also look at what past clients had to say about the agent.

4. Persuasive ability

When you talk or meet with the agent, you should assess their communication ability. How well can they negotiate? How persuasive do they sound? How much passion and excitement do they exude? Always go for an agent that knows how to communicate with others well, is persuasive and passionate about making sales

5. Commission

Money should not be a primary factor but it’s definitely also worth considering since you probably have a budget for how much you want to spend on your house sale. Real estate agent fees differ in different areas. Real estate agent fees in Tasmania would be different than Sydney. So if you are buying a property in a different suburb then compare the fees before making the final decision. Look for agents whose commission falls within that range or who will be willing to work at your budget. That way, you can save yourself a lot of time considering agents who accept a greater commission than your budget.

What Next?

Whatever you do, don’t simply go for any real estate agent that comes your way. Take some time out to do your research and compare agents using our suggestions. You will certainly be glad you did.