Choosing a Realtor to assist you in buying or selling a property can be a daunting task. After all, there are literally hundreds of Realtors in every city to choose from, all offering seemingly similar services at comparable commission rates. How do you decide? Hiring the right Realtor is the key to a successful and stress-free buying or selling experience. Your Realtor is of course, there to help you achieve the best price and terms in your transaction but also to advise you while you make important decisions that may impact you and your family for years to come. Your Realtor is there to protect your interests and help you avoid legal trouble in connection with your purchase or sale. Only a Realtor with vast experience can achieve all of that.
New Realtors come out of real estate school with a brain full of real estate knowledge and very little idea of how to actually apply that knowledge in a real-life situation. Those skills require on-the-job training. Realtors learn to sell real estate by selling real estate! When the average Realtor sells six properties per year, you can imagine how long it takes for them to acquire enough experience to be an effective agent. We’re talking decades!
I witness inexperienced agents on a regular basis who leave their client’s money on the table because they don’t have the confidence to properly negotiate or put their clients at risk because of their lack of experience. Part of meeting new prospective clients is hearing about the lousy service or bad advice that they received from the agent they used previously. I’ve heard some incredible horror stories!
An experienced agent can;
Offer solutions based on previous results
Anticipate and avoid problems before they occur
Enjoy solid relationships with other agents
Have strong negotiation skills
Understand the complexities of changing real estate markets
Provide perspective on statistics and crucial market data to clients
Confidently guide clients to smooth closings
Any agent in town can offer you a marketing plan, virtual tour and a sign on your lawn but not every agent has the experience to guide, advise and protect you through the largest financial transaction of your life. The most important and valuable thing that your Realtor can offer you is experience.
Dean Manton is Guelph and area’s real estate expert. Put Dean’s experience and market knowledge to work for you!
