Choosing the right real estate agent

The best real estate sales people are successful because they've built a reputation for great results and good customer experiences.

Let's be honest, selling your home can be a stressful time. Choosing the right salesperson can be the difference between a good or bad result and a high stress or low stress experience. We wanted to take some time to give you a few tips that will hopefully help make choosing the right agent easier.

When it comes to choosing the right person to sell your home there are a few very common mistakes. The two that spring to mind are:

1.Choosing the agent that promises the highest price
2.Choosing the agent that offers the lowest commission

This might seem counter intuitive, because it makes sense to want the highest price and to pay the least fees, but those two promises aren't the things that really dictate a good result and/or a stress-free experience.

Why do these things not necessarily deliver a good result?

Trying to tell you exactly how much your home will sell for in future is crystal ball gazing.

Your chosen sales person should present you with similar recent sales, properties currently on the market and other market analysis to suggest a price range. The choice from there is yours, but they should be suggesting a price that will attract the highest number of the right buyers for your property to create competition.

So why isn't the cheapest commission a good measure either?

A good sales person will take time to profile the ideal target audience for your home, work out where they're looking for property and then have a marketing plan that puts your home in front of them and presents it in the best light.

The sales person who reaches the highest number of the right buyers, is probably going to get you the best price. Great marketing requires investment, going with the cheapest option isn't likely to maximise your sale price.

So, these are the two most common mistakes - what other things should you be looking for in a great real estate salesperson?

Trust

Although trust is the outcome of a number of factors, this is a really important one. Reality is that you may well have a relationship with this person for some time, weeks, maybe even a few months. You need to feel they have your best interests at heart and most importantly, that they will stick with you if things get tough.

There will be a bunch of factors that make up whether you trust someone or not. This might be as simple as gut feel, but things like their experience, what their customers say about them, the brand they work for and how they communicate should all influence your decision. Remember to take time to do your research.

Results

They need to show that they've helped people like you in the past. Ask for testimonials and a sales history to help you decide whether they can help you get the result you are after.

Marketing

The best real estate sales people are successful because they've built a reputation for great results and good customer experiences. Happy customers are usually happy because they got a result above expectation and enjoyed working with that agent. What really drives the good results part is the marketing campaign. A good agent will give you a complete marketing campaign, focusing on your target audience.

So what should you expect to see in a great marketing campaign?:

•A large database - a good sales person will have a good database of their own, but also work with a team who has buyers of their own.
•Professional sign boards - make sure people driving past and your neighbours know you're selling.
•Digital marketing - people spend a lot of time online, so make sure your property is found there.
•Social media - social media isn't just a place for photos of kids, food and scenery, it's now a powerful and cost-efficient advertising mechanism.
•Print - sure digital is popular, but we can't forget print. The best property marketing results still come from campaigns with a mix of online and offline marketing
•Brand - good property marketing is made great by the brand that it's supported by. Their reach and presence should enhance your campaign.
•Reporting - make sure you're regular progress updates are part of the marketing plan.
•Preparation advice - there should be lots of tools to make your life easy and help you get the best result. Advice on getting your home ready for sale, prep for open homes and things that will make your life easy once you do sell.
•Professional photography and/or video - the images and video are what make or break your marketing. These are the most visible.
•An open home plan - you need to know when these are happening so you can plan around them.

Remember, no single tactic or attribute gets great real estate results. It's a combination of a great sales person, the team they have behind them and you. Your efforts to tidy the house, be available when you need them, clear the family out of the house and listen to their advice has just as big a part to play in a successful sale.

At Bayleys Rotorua, we take great pride in our team displaying the above, having a passion for our region and being backed by a large national network and brand. We would love to team up with you and help you get a great real estate result. Give us a call on (07) 349 3210.