Are all agents up to the job?

Is your real estate agent doing what you're paying them to do? VICKI HOLDER advises on how to keep tabs on their performance.

If you followed the pointers suggested in last week's Weekend Real Estate on selecting the right agent, he or she has worked hard to get your listing. Now comes the really hard part.

Selling your home for the best price is all about making the most of every opportunity available. You want the agent who goes the extra mile to sell your home. You're paying for a quality, professional service, so make sure that their performance is up to scratch.

Weekend Real Estate canvassed opinions from two top Auckland salespeople, asking what the vendor should expect of their real estate agent.

Barfoot & Thompson's Stanley Armon, who works in partnership with his wife, Barbara, says image is important. This includes the way the agent dresses and the car they drive, as well as the way they act and present the property. "Enthusiasm is the greatest single factor an agent can offer," he says, "but it has to be married with integrity, ethics, knowledge, supreme effort and the ability to analyse.

"We check every detail to the enth degree," he says. "We make sure we cross-check both the print and plans in property deeds, otherwise there's a chance you could miss something and misrepresent the property. That way, if prospects find faults, then we can supply the solutions.

"The sales process slows if prospective clients have to go away and find their own LIM reports on a property. Speed is important - we don't make prospects wait for details.

"If we have an appointment to show a client through a property, we get there early to make sure the property looks and feels its best. We set the stage, turning on the lights and under-floor heating, clearing clutter and so on. I welcome them, introduce myself and wear a name tag. I give an overview of the home with the important details and let them know I can answer any of their queries or give further information if they want to see more. Then I give purchasers time to absorb at their own pace. I always take their names and details. That feedback is fed into a report for the vendor.

"We remember to follow up, evaluate, control and always be pro-active - inviting people back for second viewings, for instance.

"It's about under-promising and over-delivering. In normal business practice, someone might say documents will be ready in two weeks, but we get them ready in one."

Dinah Macky, of Bayleys Real Estate, says being totally vendor-focused, working with a limited number of sole agencies and auctions, and getting the properties sold is what's important.

"I focus on results through knowledge and skills," she says. "It's not a numbers game. An agent must have strong empathy with vendors and quickly build a rapport with both vendors and purchasers.

"As an agent, you have to be comfortable with the person you're dealing with. You have to understand where they are coming from and the reason for the sale. There has to be trust and honesty or else it doesn't work. When there's empathy and trust, the whole process can be as stress-free as possible."

Dinah finds that she has a lot of referrals and repeat business by providing a high level of personalised vendor service. That means making daily phone calls and giving honest feedback - good and bad. She's constantly in touch with her vendors. There's nothing worse than not hearing from an agent, she says.

"At the end of the day, you need someone who can look outside the square and put a deal together to make the sale," she adds. "This negotiating ability is ultimately what makes a good agent great."

PERFORMANCE CHECKLIST

1. Is the agent doing their utmost to sell your home?

2. Do you feel comfortable with them and trust their judgment?

3. How well do they understand the details of the sale?

4. Have they given advice on how to present your home?

5. Are you happy with every aspect of the marketing campaign?

6. How often do you see/hear from them? You should communicate with them regularly. Do they return your calls promptly?

7. How do they conduct the open homes or client viewings?

8. What marketing feedback do you receive? You should receive names of prospective buyers with their comments - positive and negative.

9. Does your agent bring you every offer regardless of the price?

10. Are you confident of the agent's negotiation skills?