When it comes to selling or buying a home there’s simply no substitute for having a top-notch real estate agent on your side. They can make the difference between finding the home you want or settling for less, paying a fair price or paying too much, achieving a profit or absorbing a loss and whether the process is relatively quick or drawn out for months on end. There’s a truism in the real estate business that goes something like this: “20% of the agents move 80% of the property”. That’s because being a good real estate agent entails more than simply gaining your license and hanging out a shingle. The best agents have that combination of drive, knowledge of the local market, curiosity, personality and instinct that just isn’t bestowed up people because they passed an exam. To these people the real estate exam is more a formality. The real juice is in the give and take of the sales/purchase process. Read more about How renting vs buying home in Etobicoke
Table Of Contents
- Section 1: Where to Find the Right Etobicoke Real Estate Agent
- Section 2: How to determine if Your Prospective Real Estate Agent is the Real Thing
- Section 3: Red Flags to watch for when it comes to Real Estate Agents/a>
- Conclusion:
Section 1: Where to Find the Right Etobicoke Real Estate Agent
Now that we’ve established what type of individual is likely to make the best real estate agent the first thing is figuring out just where you find these creatures. The best Etobicoke Real Estate agent is one that knows if they do their job right the commissions will take care of themselves. So, how does one go about finding one of those 20 percent-ers?
Online(Google it)
One has to start looking somewhere and with so much economic activity moving online and with so many people carrying smartphones with them everywhere they go the Internet is a natural place to start. But while you’re bound to find a lot of real estate agents vying for attention on the Internet you have to be as careful there as you would in the real world. That’s because there are plenty of websites that will refer real estate agents to you and swear they’re the best thing since sliced bread when in fact those agents simply paid the site owner to recommend them. A better way may be to search for the top agencies in your area, go to their websites and see what customers are saying in the comments about this agent or that. It’s still no guarantee but it might point you in a productive direction.
Personal Referrals
To our thinking this is without a doubt one of the best ways to find a top-notch Etobicoke Real Estate agent because if you can’t trust your family, friends and neighbors to be straight with you who can you trust? If someone who’s opinion you respect and have faith in tells you this or that real estate agent did a bang up job finding them the right buyer or negotiating a good price on their home purchase that should be enough to at least request a sit down with that agent and see what they’re all about. You may decide that you’d be happier working with someone else but you owe it to yourself to investigate first.
Attend Some Open House Events
It may seem like a chore and maybe it is but there’s a lot on the line when it comes to home sales and purchases, so it behooves you to make an extra effort in order to secure the agent that will give you your best shot at a successful transaction. And open house events are as good a place as any to make contact with agents. The best will stay focused on the task at hand and perhaps give you a card so you can call them later. That’s actually a good sign. It shows they take their responsibility toward the person or family they’re representing seriously. Before announcing yourself to an agent at an open house you can watch them discretely. This gives you an idea how engaged they are in the process and their overall demeanor. You can even approach them and ask some questions to see how they respond. It will tell you a lot about whether they’ve done their homework on the property.
Read more about Value of Staging Your Home When Selling
Section 2: How to determine if Your Prospective Real Estate Agent is the Real Thing
with any luck using the above methods you have found several agents that seem like they might have promise. Now your job is to find out if they are legit or just really good actors. But just how do you do that?
Ask for references
That aside, ask for references anyway. Most agents will be happy to provide a few for you. Once you get those numbers don’t just call them and say “hi”, ask a few very pointed questions about asking price and selling price and how long it took to sell the home or find a home for you that was a good match. Also, how easy was the agent to work with? Did they answer the phone when you called? Did they call back when they said they would? Did they listen to you or try to push homes or buyers on you that you thought weren’t good matches?
Look for the Right Credentials
Just as health professionals specialize in different areas so too does your average Sunnylea real estate agent. If you’re looking for an agent to help you shift through the various Etobicoke homes for sale pay attention to their specialty. For instance, if you see “CRS” after their name it means they’re a “certified residential specialist”. If their name is followed by “ABR” it means they’re an “accredited buyer’s representative” and so on. If an agent uses “Realtor” in their title with a capital “R” that means they’ve sworn an oath to adhere to a specific code of ethics.
Check out Their Current Listings
Go to the agent’s website and see what they currently have listed. If the listings are sparse. Also, it’s important that their Internet listings are professionally presented with lots of relevant information and professional looking photos. A couple of grainy pics and a line that says “call for details” aren’t going to cut it.
Test Them on Your Area
The best agents keep track of what’s going on. They know the Long Branch homes for sale and the Alderwood homes for sale as well as the homes in your neighborhoods. When interviewing a prospective agent mention that house down the street that sold a few weeks ago and see if the agent has any awareness of it. If she does, that indicates she’s on top of things, does her homework and keeps her eyes open and ears to the ground: all qualities you want to see in a good real estate agent.
The bottom line is this: don’t be afraid to ask the agent questions about their credentials, their current listings, how many homes they’ve sold in your neighborhoods and anything on their website that jumps out at you as being curious. Whether you’re buying or selling a real estate transaction is a big deal. Treat it as such.
Section 3: Red Flags to watch for when it comes to Real Estate Agents
So you’ve located some good prospective agents, put them to the litmus test as outlined in Section 2 and narrowed the field to just a couple. Your search is almost over but there are still a few last minute things you’ll want to look for – or rather look out for – before you decide to formally engage someone’s services. Here are some red flags to watch for that could tip you away from one or the other of your finalists.
Agent only sells real estate part-time
There are some extremely sharp and personable folks out there selling real estate part-time. One of them may have even made your list of finalists somehow. But if it’s come down to two real estate agents that both seem competent and one is full-time and one is part-time, go with the fulltime agent. That’s because the full-time Alderwood real estate agent is out there well, full time. They’re able to pounce on new listings and alert you to them immediately. If you’re selling your home the full-time agent will always be available to prospective buyers. So it’s just smarter from a business perspective to go with the full-time agent over the part-time agent.
Contact Leslie Brlec @ 416-277-5444 to know more about Etobicoke neighborhood
Agent suggests an unrealistic price
If you’re selling your home and the agent suggests listing it for a price that’s far above comparable Etobicoke homes for sale you have to question their wisdom. Unless you have a solid gold bathtub or the worlds most sophisticated security system your home should be listed reasonably close to what other comparable homes in the area are going for. If the agent lists it for a lot more chances are it’s going to linger on the market for an extended period of time. And the longer it lingers the more prospective buyers are going to suspect there’s something wrong with it you’re not talking about. In the end you’ll probably have to take a drastic price reduction to make the sale.
Agent is not in tune with your neighborhoods
It could be a particular agent made your short list because of their impressive portfolio, their “Realtor of the Year” award, the fact that they tend to move properties quickly and because they have a great sense of humor. Still, if they don’t have intimate knowledge of the neighborhoods you’re selling in or want to buy into and your other finalist does, it’s probably wise to go with the agent who knows the neighborhoods in question. Real estate is a local business for the most part and someone familiar with the neighborhoods may even know of homes that haven’t been listed yet but may be a good match for you.
Conclusion:
It’s going to take some work to find the right person and yes, even then there are no ironclad guarantees they’re going to be the ideal Etobicoke real estate agent and find a perfect buyer for you or the perfect house at the perfect price in a week. But by taking the above guidelines and suggestions to heart you stand a better than even chance of working with an agent who will keep your best interests up front at all times, and that’s what’s really important. They’ll match you up with qualified buyers or present properties for your consideration that adhere to your wish list and all the while make the process painless and even enjoyable.
Etobicoke's premier real estate authority, Leslie Brlec, is a lifelong resident dedicated to enriching the Etobicoke real estate landscape with her extensive expertise. Contact Leslie today to embark on your real estate journey. 