Selling your home in 2020
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Finding the right real estate agent to sell your home can change your entire campaign, as well as your experience. As property stylists we work with real estate agents everyday. Nicole Heins, Director of Impressions, knows most (if not all) of the agents in Canberra and has over decades worth of experience in the industry. Nicole, along with Justine Burke from Luton Properties, and Christine Bassingthwaighte from Peter Blackshaw have shared their insider tips for choosing the right agent for you and your home.
When first meeting with a perspective agent it is important to get to know them and their qualifications. Think of this first meeting like an interview, it is your chance to learn as much as possible about this agent, so come prepared with a list of questions to ask. Nicole, Justine, and Christine shared what they believe are the three most important questions to ask any real estate agent.
Nicole Heins
Ask them what they estimate to be the value of your home. Their answer will give you a good indication if the agent genuinely knows the area, if they have done their research prior to meeting with you, and if their estimation is realistic and achievable.
Justine Burke
- Why do you think you’re the best agent to sell this home?
- How would you sell this home?
- Who do you think the target market is for this home and how will you reach those buyers?
Christine Bassingthwaighte
- Ask about their beliefs in customer service.
- Ask about their knowledge in the area, and how they will negotiate the best possible outcome for you with their skills as an agent.
- Think about what is most important to you as the seller and ask about this.
Each seller is different and needs different things and therefore requires different skills from their agents. But whether you’re selling you family home or an investment property, there are some qualities that any good agent needs! When looking for an agent, keep an eye out for these qualities;
Nicole Heins
You just have to get on with them. When selling your home, you are handing over your biggest asset to this person, so it is important that you feel you can communicate with them honestly and openly but more importantly, that your agent can communicate openly with you as well.
Justine Burke
I think being a good communicator is the best quality an agent can bring to a sale. At all stages of the campaign, open and honest communication is an absolute must. This extends to buyers as well, as regular communication with interested buyers helps build a relationship and also trust and makes it easier to negotiate with them.
Chrinstine Bassingthwaghte
The most important quality for an agent to have is being able to communicate to you, the seller. It is also important that they have a caring attitude so that they can achieve the best possible outcome.
Agents often specialise in different areas of the market and the most common of these specialisations is a district or suburb. Some agents will even specify in their agencies name that they work in a particular area. This means they have a lot of experience in this suburb’s market history and know the area well. But is this an important consideration when picking an agent?
Nicole Heins
I think it is incredibly important. Any type of selling comes down to building relationships. If an agent is prolific in an area, they are actually building relationships with potential buyers. They will also have a clearer understanding of what the local buyer is looking for and what needs to be done to your home to meet the needs of buyers.
Justine Burke
A good agent can sell property in any area/suburb, however the benefit of going with an agent that sells a lot in the area is that they are familiar with the benefits of living there and can sell the lifestyle that comes with it. They are more familiar with the other homes that are on market and that have sold recently, which means they are more likely to understand the value and potential target markets/buyer demand. It also definitely helps when an agent has sold a lot in the area as they would know a lot of the potential buyers already and would have a better understanding of what those buyers are looking for, and if they have made offers on other properties or bid at other Auctions.
Christine Bassingthwaighte
While it is important to have good knowledge of the area, it is even more important to have great people skills. Christine emphasised that there are some qualities more important than local knowledge, such as good communication skills.
