Selling a property is one of the largest financial transactions you will make in your lifetime, which makes selecting the right agent to guide you through the task a critical decision. The right agent will work with you to meet your goal, using their extensive insight into the local property market to provide advice, guidance and a whole lot of footwork behind the scenes.

Here are the top five tips on finding the right real estate agent to handle your sale.

The right stuff

Make no mistake, selling a property is a partnership and sometimes finding that perfect partner agent is hard to define in words. It’s part hunch, part chemistry and part expertise. You’re looking for an established agent who is genuinely interested in your property and your desired outcome. This means they may not be all glitz and glam but are instead prepared to deliver some hard truths if required, and will definitely put in the hard yards as required. Finding your agent is a bit like a job interview, you’re looking for the right ethos to fit your sale. After all, they’ll see your home at its best and possibly at its pre-best with a likelihood they’ll see you in the same state too.

Local knowledge counts

Real estate is all about local knowledge, so you need an agent with a track record in your specific region who knows their stuff. The best agents will be abreast of current developments, future plans and decisions affecting your immediate region, along with an intricate understanding of the state of play in your area’s real estate market. They will know what price Number 9 sold for, what a similar house two streets over fetched, and have a database of buyers looking for similar opportunities.

A proven track record

The property market is a results driven game, and one of the best ways of knowing whether your agent can come up with the goods is by looking at their track record. This extends from their history in the industry to their recent sales, and what previous sellers have to say. Boom areas attract all sorts of fresh agencies, but the devil is in the detail of what they can achieve in this area at this time. Seek information about an agent’s sales, their length of time in an area and their understanding of the current climate based on local expertise.

Critical credentials

It should go without saying, but do check your agent is equipped with the right industry credentials to handle your sale. This includes ensuring they have membership of the state or national real estate industry and their licence is current.

Above and beyond

Importantly, ask your agent about the strategy they will use to sell your property, including how they obtain leads and how and when they would schedule inspections. You need a full appreciation of their approach to each sale, the strategies they will employ, and the feedback they will provide. It’s critical to also work through issues at the outset, like what happens if your property has been on the market for a certain length of time and interest wanes?

Top tips

  • Check your real estate is licensed.
  • Seek recommendations from friends or testimonials.
  • Do your own research on your specific market.
  • Personally meet multiple agents to get that critical hunch of who’s right for you.
  • Ensure an agent is prepared to listen to your needs.
  • Ask for honest feedback on your property, and what you could do to improve its potential for sale.
  • The flashiest advertising or the cheapest commission does not necessarily equal value for money.

About United Strata

Specialising in the Macarthur region, United Strata prides itself on our extensive local knowledge and professional yet personalised service to guide sellers through the sale process. We provide free market appraisals that include a comprehensive report along with our recommendations of the value of your property. Committed to reaching your sale goal, we go above and beyond the services of other agents. If we do not sell your property or it does not reach the agreed upon price, you will not foot the bill for our listing fees. You can learn more about our services here. You can also contact us directly for further advice or appraisal.