There’s a good chance you will make a number of real estate transactions during your lifetime. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, by the time the average American reaches the age of 18, they can expect to move 9.1 times during their remaining lifetime. If you plan on changing addresses as often as the average American, then knowing how to choose the best real estate agent can save you thousands of dollars and a ton of stress.
You will want to work with a professional who can walk you through every step of the real estate transaction process, whether you’re looking to buy or sell a property. At the end of most real estate transactions, you’ll be handed either the keys to your new home or a check for a home you’ve just sold. In either case, you want the process to be as stress-free as possible. Here, we look at three of the factors to consider when choosing a real estate professional to work with.
They Are Knowledgeable
Every detail of buying or selling a property requires some level of specialized knowledge. Even an “open house,” while on the surface sounding fairly easy to pull off, can be made much more effective if organized by an experienced, knowledgeable real estate professional who will know how to best stage the open house and execute it with proper etiquette and safety.
The process of buying or selling a property is obviously much more complicated than just the open house, which is why it’s important to have a knowledgeable pro on your side to guide you through all of the other steps like submitting or receiving offers, negotiations, analyzing documents, and being your voice at the table when it comes time to close the sale.
They Offer Services That Meet All of Your Needs
If you’re involved in real estate beyond the buying and selling of your home, then having a single agent you can call on for all your real estate needs can be a great asset. If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, you may need to buy or sell an investment or commercial property during your career. Having a real estate agent who is either experienced in these types of real estate transactions or who can connect with an agent who is experienced can be a huge plus.
There are other services to consider beyond buying and selling commercial or investment property. For example, if you own an investment rental property, hiring a property manager can not only cut down on your stress level, but it can also help you keep your investment profitable. Move-in assessments, property inspections, marketing your property when there’s a vacancy, and managing incoming calls from tenants are just some of the property management services available.
They Follow Up
This one is pretty simple. Make sure following up is engrained in your agent’s ethos. While following up with you is obviously very important, it’s also critically important that your agent follows up with other parties involved in the transaction. For example, if you’re selling a property, a prospective buyer may move on to the next available property rather than wait for a delayed follow-up call from your selling agent, causing you to miss out on a potential sale. Likewise, if you’re in the market to purchase a property, the seller is going to consider the offers as they receive them. If you tell your agent you want to make an offer on a property, but they delay communicating that offer to the seller’s agent, the property may be long gone by the time you realize your offer to buy wasn’t conveyed to the seller.
Conclusion
Whether we need an auto mechanic, plumber, attorney, or family doctor, we all want to work with knowledgeable, service-oriented professionals who can help us address the needs specific to our own personal situations. Choosing a real estate agent who can meet your needs is no less important than choosing other service professionals you will need to call on. Choose a professional you can call on again and again.
Are you ready to buy or sell a home or invest in income-earning real estate? At Ascend Real Estate, our knowledgeable, service-focused agents are ready to help make your next real estate transaction seamless and stress-free. Our agents work hard to develop long-term relationships with our clients by providing superior service and attention to every detail. We have helped countless clients throughout the Fort Smith region, and we look forward to the opportunity to serve you.