The housing market is currently at an all time high. Homes for sale are flying off the market and more and more buyers are being approved to purchase. In a housing market that is so active, how can you ensure that you are setting the right price for your home, putting in the right purchase offer price, or taking the right steps to ensure that you are able to purchase your dream home for sale? Working with a quality real estate company in today?s booming market is crucial for success. How do you choose your real estate agent? A high quality realtor contains the following characteristics.
Experienced in your area of buying or selling
Experience is important. Experience in your specific area of buying or selling is even more important. There are many individual factors present in the real estate market that need to be accounted for. If you are looking specifically for a lake home, for example, it is most beneficial to work with an agent who is familiar with local lake homes for sale. If you are attempting to sell your condo in a newly built area, you are likely to receive a higher offer with an agent familiar with both condos and the newly renovated subdivision.
Having a real estate agent who is familiar with local markets is especially helpful to the buying process. In today?s market, houses are being purchased much quicker than average in many areas. Buyers typically searched for 10 weeks and looked at a median of 10 homes. If you are looking for homes for sale in these booming markets, you could be reacting too slowly. An agent that is familiar with the area can give you quicker notifications of new homes for sale as they hit the market.
Availability and communication method
There is no question that real estate professionals are busy, especially when the market is strong. However, a realtor should not take on more real estate clients than they can realistically handle. A lack of availability or communication from your agent can significantly slow down the buying or selling process. For 42% of recent buyers, the first step that they took in the home buying process was to look at properties for sale, while 14% of buyers first contacted a real estate agent. Because you need a licensed realtor to view any for sale property, good availability and communication is a must.
If your realtor takes many days to return your calls or to schedule showings, you could lose out on many potential homes. If you are selling and your realtor is not available regularly, you could lose out on potential offers and viewings. You can usually get a good idea of the realtor?s communication method and frequency when first communicating with them. Pay attention to how quickly they respond and the method that they answer you with.
Amount of connections
Considering that the realtor is not the only important professional in the buying and selling process, it can also be beneficial to have an agent who has a good amount of connections. More connections means that you have access to properties as they first hit the market. It also means that they have a variety of professionals at their fingertips to solve potential problems, such as contractors, inspectors, and loan providers.
Connections could also be related to the selling process. Among buyers who used the internet during their home search, 87% of buyers found photos and 84% found detailed information about properties for sale very useful. Real estate professionals with good connections are able to make better internet listings, thus attracting more potential buyers to your home for sale. This will often result in an increase in offers and a selling price, closer to the initial asking price.
The real estate industry is doing very well right now. Although this is great for some buyers and sellers, it can make things more difficult for others. Having the experienced of a qualified real estate professional can ease the process. When you are looking for the right realtor, consider experience in your specific market, their amount of connections, and their communication frequency and method.
