26th August 2022 / Sarah Lowry: Choosing Your Agent in a Changing Market

Maximising the value of your property in the current real estate market has never been more important!

When buyers move from the fear of missing out (FOMO) to FOOP (fear of over paying) the experience and skills of your real estate agent will be pivotal in achieving a great sale price.

Choosing an agent will be one of the most important decisions you'll make when selling your home.

But it's not something most of us do every day. So, knowing how to pick the right agent for you can be challenging.

As an experienced agency in your area, we know you'll see a variety of strategies and techniques in sales and marketing when you start interviewing agents. No agency, and not every agent, is the same.

These tips will start you on the right path:

Ask Family and Friends

You can't beat a good recommendation, so seek out who has done an excellent job for those you love and trust. That doesn't mean they're the agent for you, but this is a good entry into the selection process.

Local Expertise

To ensure you market your home correctly and hit the right price range, it's essential to choose a local agent who knows the suburb, price performance, and buyer demand for your property style.

Experience Counts

This doesn't mean you must choose an older agent. You want someone who has succeeded in selling your style of property, in your area, and in the prevailing market conditions or those that are similar.

Approach

You need to be confident in their suggested approach to selling your home. An agent should demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the local market, buyer segmentation and how to leverage your marketing dollars to maximise the value of your property and minimise its time on the market.

Results

Seek out the recent results achieved by each candidate. There's no need to go further back than 12 months. Again, focus on their success with your style of property, as well as your target buyer segment (whether that's families, couples or singles). Just because they've done well selling off-the-plan apartments doesn't mean they'll kick a goal for you.

Check Them Out

Go to inspections that are held by each agent and gauge their professionalism. Leave your name and contact details and see who follows up and how they treat you. Test their market knowledge on price, time-on-market and available properties.

Is There Trust?

This is the most critical element of your search. Beyond their professional competence, you must feel comfortable with your agent. You should be able to trust that they're on your side and willing to communicate openly and frequently. Find someone who focuses on the relationship, not just the transaction.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with your local area expert if you would like some advice on a sales and marketing strategy that suits you!