Tips On How To Choose a Real Estate Agent

Choosing An Agent

PHIL’S TIPS ON HOW TO CHOOSE A REAL ESTATE AGENT

Your agent will spend a lot of time in your home and will be responsible for looking after your possessions and representing your interests in negotiations. It’s important to find an agent who comes recommended—with good references and a strong track record—or one from a reputable company with strong management.

• Your agent’s negotiating skills are critical so choose very carefully—ensure they understand the principles of negotiating and have enough experience to back up the theory. Then check that your agent can offer all the selling options (auction, tender & fixed price), and has practical experience in them all.
• Make sure your marketing budget is spent promoting your property, not the agent. Remember—if Open Homes are their sole marketing strategy, you might as well sell the property yourself.
• Realistically, you won’t get to know your agent until the marketing programme begins—so make sure you have an agency cancellation option, just in case the relationship doesn’t work out.
• If all you really want to achieve is the cheapest commission rate, all you need to do is call our competitors and tell them “Bayleys are prepared to sell our home for $X, can you match that?”—and they probably will. Our experience is that irrespective of what goods or services you are looking to buy, you get what you pay for. The cheaper the cost or fee, often the poorer the quality of the goods or services. Bayleys look to charge a fair fee for the job we do—we really come into our own if your home doesn’t happen to sell as quickly as you hope or if there is a problem along the way. The Owners/Directors of Bayleys are always available if their expertise is required throughout the selling process.
• Your reasons for selling should be kept confidential. Buyers who know your reasons for selling get an immediate advantage, which may affect their offer—to your disadvantage.