In a recent conversation with a friend of mine the topic of trying to sell themselves or choosing an agency came up. My friend told me that he thought they would be much better off trying to sell themselves. My first thought was to ask how much were they planning the charge, but then decided this sort of jovial humour was perhaps not appropriate just yet. I answered by asking them why so many people might decide to choose an agent to sell for them, if it was better for most people to sell their property themselves?
His answer was what I imagine most people might think about when deciding which agent is best to choose; lack of time, skill at selling, knowledge of past sales and current competition, database of buyers, and little knowledge of sold similar properties with current left over buyers. I think even he was surprised at how many reasons he came up with, hence he decided (after hearing what properties we had recently been selling near him) to sell through us.
This encounter with my friend made me realize that when deciding on who to use as an agent, there are a few factors which are not just knowledge based to consider. These being that of trust, rapport, and enthusiasm. In other words if you feel an agent is not totally engaged with you and your property or you are unsure whether you could trust them to get the best price or believe that they are interested only in what is important to you, then you need to interview someone else. An agent, and an agency’s reputation is your most valuable asset, and in some cases agents have cost sellers thousands of unseen dollars due to simply wanting to get the sale over and done with; don’t let this happen to you.
Ask for references, make sure their appraisal has included past sales and current competition to show how they came up with a potential sale range. You might even want to ask some pre-meeting questions to ensure the agent can best do their research and show you more information to help you make the very best informed decision.
All the very best with choosing the right agent!
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