Today’s real estate landscape has a myriad of different real estate agencies. The agents within them are perhaps even more varied.

From the sole operator to the team of specialists, the tried and tested brand to the up-and-comer. Perhaps the most important question for any seller is: “Which is the right agent for me?”

You might answer this question based on gut feeling, simply to choose the agent that sells the most in your neighbourhood or the one your friends recommended. The fact of the matter is, it’s hard to know.

To help you make the best decision, focus on the simple factor of trust. Trust in the agent that you feel has your best interests at heart, and trust that they can do the job well.

An acquaintance recently went to sell her investment property and chose an agent that she had met within the community – a lovely gentleman with over 30 years’ experience in real estate. Once the agent had been hired, it was soon obvious that he was at the tail end of his career. Inspections were an inconvenience, the marketing of the property didn’t reflect what current buyers demanded, and he didn’t seem to properly grasp the intricacies of pricing within the area.

In short, he had my acquaintances best interests at heart, but these weren’t accompanied by competency to get the property sold at the best price.

On the other side of the coin are those agents that will achieve a sale, no matter the cost. You may have heard some horror stories about agents, and many of them are true. Some agents are so focused on increasing their personal turnover that the interests of the sellers run at a distant second place.

The takeaway from this is to consider both types of trust when interviewing agents. Continue meeting agents until you find someone who you believe is focused on your goals and they’re competent in their craft; that is the ability to achieve a great outcome for you in the timeframe you’ve set.

Finally, to protect yourself, insist on a written guarantee that if at any time during the agent’s agreement, you feel as though you’ve hired wrong, you can cancel the agent’s agreement without any financial penalty.

The Smartre Sale as offered by Johnson Real Estate offers this dismissal clause in all of its agreements. To receive your copy, contact us anytime.

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