Are you sure you got yourself a good agent? How do you evaluate property agents that you meet before deciding who to engage?
We will be sharing about some important attributes for a good agent and the best way to seek them out. Read on for details!
Summary: Clients want to know what's so special or good about an agent that they engage. Key attributes include knowledge, professionalism and good rapport. Successfully acting in the client's interests mean more than any awards.
Clients sometimes ask, "What do I get from you as an agent, what's so special or good about you that I cannot get from any other agent?"
We realise that clients that have had some bad experiences dealing with agents tend to be better at evaluating who is good for what they want in their agent. For the rest of us then, how can we determine if an agent is good for us or not?
Questions from Clients
A sign of an agent that is worth his/her salt is one that is ready with answers to questions that the client did not even think of asking. Yes, you read that right. Rather than being ready only for the transaction related items like price, offers and closing the deal, a sign of a competent agent is when they can tell the client all about the strategy, process and potential timeline of the transaction.
Often times, clients might not know what questions to ask, and it is down to the agent to correctly anticipate the doubts and needs of the clients. Based on his experience, Aaron understands the common questions that buyers and sellers have, thus he is able to cover all queries that are relevant to a property transaction during his discussions with clients.
Telling clients what they need to know ensures that there would not be any bad experiences or nasty surprises, as everything regarding the transaction and how it might pan out is already explained by the agent.
Trial or Trust - How to evaluate?
Without any prior experience with agents, it is hard for a buyer or sell to judge. Sometimes it just goes down to a 'Trial or Trust' situation when picking agents.
Thus, we have prepared a tip on how to compare between agents and decide who suits you better.
Prepare a set of questions you might have about the property market regarding your situation
Ask the same set of questions to the agents you are evaluating
Based on the answers and the way the questions are answered, you will be able to get a better grasp on who might suit you better. There is no way to define which agent is the 'best', and it's more important to find someone that is suitable for your needs and can serve your interests best.
Red Flags
A property transaction is not a small matter, with clients paying agents fees of 4 digits and more. Thus, it is reasonable to expect a certain level of professionalism from the engaged agent. Obvious red flags are agents that do not answer calls or are late to appointments without notifying the clients or co-broking agents.
Not replying promptly to messages is a key bugbear for Aaron. Being responsive is a basic requirement for an agent, and providing an acknowledgement to any enquiry should be considered a basic courtesy too.
Aaron's standards
Aaron only serve clients that are willing to work with him on an exclusive basis, and this is part of his commitment. There are no off days for Aaron and if clients call, it's definitely for something urgent regarding the property transaction.
With that said, Aaron believes in answering clients' calls or responding within 30 minutes of the call. If he is in an appointment, then he would notify the client and respond once the appointment is over. This urgency and promptness is borne out of the understanding that if someone were to ask a question, they would want and expect an answer as soon as possible.
Conclusion
It's important to find an agent that is suitable for you as a buyer or seller. A competent agent is one that is professional and knowledgeable enough to share and explain what the client needs to know. The achievements of an agent is more in serving the client well rather than how many awards they have won.
Watch Aaron talk about the ideal property agent, and catch a glimpse of the awards he has gotten through his work in the industry!