There aren’t too many things in life that end up being as stressful, complex, and expensive as selling a home and buying a new one. Even renting a new property can become more of a headache than you’d originally bargained for! All of this highlights how important it is that you’re working with a real estate agent who, y’know, actually knows what they’re doing.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of real estate agents out there who simply aren’t very good at their job. Whether they’re helping to sell your home or helping you buy a new one, it’s essential that you work with a qualified expert in the field. We’re going to have a quick look at some of the warning signs that the agent you’re working with simply isn’t cut out for the task you’ve given them.
Lack of resources
A good real estate agent has access to a good online database, a wealth of information on homes for sale, and networking resources. This is one of the reasons that it’s usually best to work with an agency that is firmly established in this field – over the years, as a firm increases their profits, it’s more likely that they’ll have good technology, connections, and other resources that will be essential in property selling and purchasing. Research their website thoroughly to find as much information as their resources as possible, and consider asking them about this during the initial consultation.
Bad at communication
This is a massive red flag. Real estate agents must be excellent when it comes to response times and general conversational demeanor. The language they use should be clear. They should be eager to help you out in any way they can. Emails to them should garner a response as soon as possible. While a little bit of leeway in response times is appreciated in this field – agents tend to be working with quite a lot of clients, and responding to emails while they’re working with another client can harm their reputation – it’s still essential that they’re quick about getting back to you.
No confidence
You need someone who’s going to back you, who will fight your corner. That means you need an agent who is confident. You can ascertain an agent’s confidence during the “interview” process before deciding whether or not to work with them. You’ll probably be able to tell right away how confident they are; the way they carry themselves, the way they dress – though it’s important not to rush to any conclusion based on visual factors.
Negotiation fails
How can you tell that a real estate agent is bad at negotiating? Unfortunately, a lot of people find out about this trait way too late – during the negotiating process! While it’s still possible to work with someone else at any point, it’s best to judge their negotiation skills relatively early. One way of doing this is negotiating their fee with them. If they cave fairly quickly and accept a low fee right off the bat, then this is a bad sign – as tempting as it would be to hire them for the job at such a fee!