Choosing the right real estate agent is one of the most important decisions one will make when buying or selling a home. It is becoming a standard practice in the real estate world for home-buyers/renters to contact agents who will act as a form of intermediary. Purchasing a home is a huge financial commitment, so finding the right real estate agent to guide you through the process is crucial. But with so many agents in every local market, how can home buyers find their perfect match?
There is no magic formula for finding the perfect agent, but there are certainly steps that you can take to improve your chances.
Here are a few ways to be sure you find the right agent for you:
Local Market Knowledge
Real estate is a tremendous financial investment, a good agent should be familiar with the real estate market in your area; should have a knowledge of indicators that could impact housing to help their clients make an informed decision.
It’s crucial to find a real estate agent who knows the market well and can give you insight as to what you should be paying or listing your home for. Deep local market experience allows an agent to understand market trends, accessibility, and suggest good streets and areas to consider.
Get Referrals
One of the best ways to ensure that you choose a good real estate agent is to solicit recommendations from people; ask friends and neighbors their experiences with their agents. While referrals are a good place to start, that doesn’t mean you should hire the first agent you meet. Take the time to interview a few candidates to ensure you find someone who has the professional expertise you need and is a good fit personally.
Integrity Matters
Engage them carefully, interview several of them and get a feel for someone you want to work with. You need to be able trust your agent to act in your best interest and help you make the best choice. Agents with a good reputation care about their career; they are not out for just the commission. Therefore, they will do what they can to ensure a good experience for you.
Communication Skills
Paying attention to the style of communication is important when choosing a real estate agent. Responsiveness show the level of professionalism, be it in person, over the phone, text, or email; your real estate agent should be willing to stay in contact with you the way you want to be contacted. An agent who does not miss emails or calls, indicates that s/he is on the ball and detail-oriented.
Also, it is important that your agent makes you feel like you are their only client. The ideal agent communicates clearly, effectively and often, pays close attention to detail, and listens carefully to your needs and ideas.
Check Online Presence
Nowadays, 80% of home-buyers/renters conduct internet research when considering homes to buy/rent. Should a potential home-buyer/renter want to engage the services of a real estate agent online, s/he check the agent’s profiles on popular real estate marketplace like HUTBAY.com. Site like Hutbay also allows you to view past listings and online activities of the agent.
Further, you can check the agent’s website to have more information on how professional the agent is. An agent with lots of quality listings in his/her markets over a long period of time is like to be an agent with the market knowledge and professionalism to serve you right.
To find real estate agents in Nigeria, check out Hutbay Agent Directory https://www.hutbay.com/estate-agents or Call/WhatsApp +234-817-900-6524 for recommendation of agent in your desired location.
