By Michael Kies
Before you start interviewing agents to help you sell your property, it's important to know how to spot the agent to represent you fairly; the one that has your interest's at heart in order to get the highest price for your property.
My name is Michael Kies and over the last 25 years, I have sold well over a thousand properties in South Australia, and have had many vendors share their horror stories with me about dealings with agents who did the wrong thing by them. If only they knew how to spot the agent with integrity... This is what I will share with you today with a list of 10 easy to spot signs...
1. Excellent presentation. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. The agent who makes an effort to show you the honour and respect of being well dressed and prepared for your meeting is likely to be the one who will represent you in the same way to buyers. If the agent is prepared it is likely that they will be prepared in dealings with your buyers too.
2. Likeable and trustworthy. You have to feel that you like and trust this person. If you like and trust the person the right buyers are likely to as well.
3. Great Testimonials. Check out testimonials and call previous clients to get an idea of how the agent operates.
4. Has a proven track record. Ask the agent how many houses they have sold in the area and enquire as to the average days on market before the house is sold under their care. They should be very aware of this number.
5. High knowledge of the local area. Ask them to demonstrate, using examples of houses sold in the local area, the reasons why they have estimated your house will be sold for the price quoted.
6. Has a positive mental attitude. Look for enthusiasm. If the agent is down, they will come across as down to your buyers which is a put off.
7. Treats buyers right. Look for buyer testimonials on the agent's company website or mystery shop and ask the agent the above two questions (Why are they selling? And what will they take?). This will give you a great indication of how they will answer these questions when representing your house.
8. Inspection by appointment. Look for agents that will take inspection by appointment.
9. Able to lead buyers to purchase your house. Ask the agent how they would deal with critique of features your home. If an agent says they would simply write the negatives down on the feedback card, chances are they are not right for you.
When a buyer views a property and says for instance, “I don't like the wall paper”, the agent should be able to say “What would you do, would you strip it back and paint it?”, or I don't like the colour of the carpets, “What would you do, would you remove the carpets and polish up the floor boards?” This gets the potential buyer's imagination going and makes them envisage the house as they would like it. Imagination is a powerful thing!
10. Negotiation. You should ask the agent to supply you with some examples as to when their negotiation skills have achieved a higher price for the owner. An agent should be able to give you several examples, if they hesitates it indicates there is a problem.
It is important to know the signs of a good agent versus an agent who may not represent you fairly. Use these 10 signs as a way to determine whether the agent in front of you will get you the best price for your home.
For more information of selling your home contact Alex Glen-Holmes 0414 772 771
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