How To Find A Good Real Estate Agent To Sell Your Property

Thinking about selling your property? You might want a great Real Estate agent on your side. But what is the best way to find a really good Real Estate agent? The process can be complicated. You want the person you choose to have your best interest in mind, along with the expertise to help you sell your property quickly and for top price.
Most sellers find their agent in one of four ways — via a referral from someone they know and trust, by using the same agent who helped them buy previously, by using reviews or online search tools, or by seeking out an agent they’ve met in the community or at a networking event.

Here’s where today’s sellers find their Real Estate agents, according to most recent surveys:

⦁ Referral: 31 percent of sellers
⦁ Past experience: 23 percent
⦁ Someone they know from the community: 13 percent
⦁ Real Estate website or app: 9 percent
⦁ Open house: 5 percent
⦁ Contact info on a for-sale or open-house sign: 5 percent
⦁ Referral from another agent or broker: 3 percent
⦁ Search engine: 3 percent
⦁ Social networking website or app: 3 percent

Regardless of how you find listing agents in your area, make sure you interview multiple agents — even if they’re referrals — to find someone who fits you personally. You’ll want to ask the right questions to create a great partnership. After all, there’s more to a great seller-agent relationship than just a high listing price and low commission.

How to find the best Real Estate agent from referrals

A referral is the most common way sellers find their agent, at 31 percent of sellers. Referrals are especially valuable because you can ask someone you trust about the specific agent, their style, what they liked about them and what they didn’t.

Ask friends, family members and coworkers

Ask around! People in your social networks are often happy to make referrals, but they’ll never know you’re looking for an agent unless you ask. When someone in your social circle recommends an agent, don’t just take a name — ask these questions to gain more information:
⦁ How did they set the price for your property? Was there any back and forth?
⦁ How was the showing process? Did they use a lockbox?
⦁ Did you get an offer close to your asking price? Did you feel pressured to accept?
⦁ How are their negotiating skills?
⦁ How long did it take to sell? Was it longer or shorter than you expected? Longer or shorter than the average in the area?
⦁ What’s their communication style like? Are they responsive? Will they communicate via text?
⦁ Is there anything you wish went differently?

Ask the neighbors

According to research, 13 percent of sellers hire an agent based on knowing them from their community. Focusing on agents you see working in your area can be a great way to find agents who are local experts.
Drive around the neighborhood and see which agents’ names show up on the most signs. If possible, ask those neighbors what they think of their agent. Note that their feedback could be dependent on where in the transaction process they are — the further along the better, because they’re more likely to have already seen how their agent handles the inevitable challenges and roadblocks that come with selling a property.

How to find a good listing agent from past experience

Licensed, full-service Real Estate agents can legally represent either buyers or sellers, although some agents may choose to specialize, focusing on one group or the other.
If you had a good experience with your buyer’s agent when you first bought your property and you’re confident they have experience as a listing agent, too, they might be a good choice. As mentioned earlier, 23 percent of sellers use an agent they have past experience with, which may or may not be a former buyer’s agent.

Benefits of using the agent who helped you buy

There are several pros to using an agent you’ve already worked with:
They’re familiar with the property, as they helped you buy it originally.
Since they work with buyers (like you once were), they probably have a book of buyers looking for properties. Just watch out for someone operating as a dual agent (where they represent both the buyer and the seller). This practice is generally considered unethical, as they can’t objectively represent both parties, but if you are comfortable with them, trust them and know they will work hard for the sale. They may even offer a discounted commission since you are a repeat customer.

Questions to ask a past buyer’s agent

Since you’ve only worked with this agent as a buyer, make sure they are qualified to work as a listing agent. Ask these interview questions:
⦁ How many listings have you sold in the neighborhood?
⦁ What sort of marketing tactics do you employ?
⦁ Do you offer professional videography or virtual tours?
⦁ What is your commission rate? Is it split evenly with the buyer’s agent?
⦁ What avenues do you have for finding qualified buyers?

Where to find a good Real Estate agent online

Fifteen percent of recent sellers reported finding their agent online. Twenty-six percent of millennials reported finding their agent online, compared to 17 percent of Gen Xers, 8 percent of baby boomers and 6 percent of the silent generation. First-time sellers are more than twice as likely to find an agent through online resources. Additionally, 23 percent of urban sellers find their agent online, which is higher than the 14 percent of suburban sellers and only 7 percent of rural sellers who do.
Here are some methods that sellers use to search for agents online.

Agent reviews

When you search reviews online, you can see what past clients said about a particular agent — this can be a very helpful tool. Millennials and Gen Xers find the most value in using online reviews, with 61 percent and 51 percent ranking them extremely or very important, respectively. Whether you’re searching from scratch or vetting an agent referral, checking reviews can help you get a feel for an agent’s style. And in our current online-driven marketplace, all quality agents have some kind of online presence, so it shouldn’t be too hard to research the agent that a friend or family member recommended.

Social media

Social media sites can provide a wealth of information on Real Estate agents. Search “Real Estate agents” on Facebook or LinkedIn, and you’ll see plenty of results from agents in your area. When researching a Real Estate agent on social media, you’ll want to not only look for reviews but also take a look at their social media strategy overall. For example, if you can’t even find a Facebook page for the agent you’re researching, how can you expect them to market your listing to the thousands of active buyers who are on Facebook every day? Presence and network are crucial for agents.
In addition to Facebook, scope out their Instagram and LinkedIn pages, paying attention to their branding, how they talk about the listings they have, how many followers they have, how many likes their images receive and the quality of the content they share. All the same strategies matter, whether they’re promoting their own services or promoting your property.

License lookup

Another way to vet your Real Estate agent is to make sure they’re licensed by the proper regulatory agencies. Dubai has a searchable online database of every active licensed Real Estate agent and brokerage.