Qualities of a Good Real Estate Agent
Tips to Finding a Great Agent
Written By: Mariko Baerg, REALTOR of Bridgewell Real Estate Group
If you’re looking for a realtor to help you buy or sell, contact our team today!
If you’re looking for a realtor it’s important to start with the qualities of a good real estate agent.
This blog will help you to know what to look for so that you can find the best realtor to help you buy or sell a home.
We go through our top 10 qualities of a good real estate agent, what to look for, and tips on some questions to ask to make sure you hire someone you can trust!
The barrier to entry for real estate is low, so making sure that you find a good real estate agent that is a top performer is extremely important. But what are the qualities of a good real estate agent?
Regardless of whether you’re a buyer or a seller, you’ll want to make sure that you choose the right agent for you and the type of property that you’re dealing with. The best realtors are personable, have a deep understanding of the market, have a strong sales history & experience, and great communication skills.
What’s more is that your realtor has experience working with all types of people and properties and is a great listener, because no two sales are the same and a good real estate agent will adapt their approach to the specific needs of their clients.
Check out these top 10 qualities of a good real estate agent:
- Motivated and hard working
- Provides knowledge and value
- Has a good professional reputation
- Problem solver mindset
- Client first mentality & ability to listen
- Attention to detail and organizational skills
- Communicates well and regularly with their clients
- Engaging personality & passion for real estate
- Knows the local area
- Knows type of home you’re looking to buy or sell
For more details on the importance of each point, keep reading!
Motivated and hard-working
In order to be a good real estate agent with a top performing business you have to be motivated and hard-working. This will often be reflected in their systems, the amount of clients they help buy/sell per year, their communication methods & how often they communicate, their negotiation skills, and more. When you’re hiring an agent to assist you with buying or selling you absolutely want to make sure that you have a real go-getter in your court!
Provides knowledge and value
Going back to the previous point, you want the agent you choose to provide knowledge and value. Are they sending you listings? Are they teaching you things that you didn’t know? Can they speak to the market trends and different listings or sales? What do they have to tell you about the area? A great real estate agent should be a valuable resource for you, and help to make the real estate process less stressful and a positive experience.
Has a good professional reputation
If the agent you’re considering doesn’t have any reviews, then you should be wary. Finding an agent by word of mouth is great, but you’ll want to do some secondary research to make sure that they also have unbiased online reviews (google, yelp and facebook are a few) in which their clients speak to their experience with that agent. Are they well liked amongst their peers? Are they considered professional to work with? What are their past clients saying about them? A strong reputation will ensure a more positive experience when buying and/or selling with them.
If you’re looking for a great real estate agent in the Lower Mainland, check out some of our reviews here: Bridgewell Google Reviews
Problem-solver mindset
There’s a lot that can go wrong in real estate, so in addition to having the experience to know what to do when things go wrong you will also want to make sure the agent you choose has the type of mindset to get stuff done.
Client-first mentality & ability to listen
A top performing realtor is more likely to do enough business that they’re not desperate for a sale, and choosing your mom’s best friend’s niece who does 2 deals a year probably means that they’re going to be a bit jaded for a quick commission because they don’t do a lot of volume. You absolutely want someone that understands that they have a fiduciary duty to the client, and to put the client’s needs and wants BEFORE the commission cheque.
Additionally, not everyone wants the pushy salesman kind of realtor, and while they can be known as great negotiators… they’re not always the best at listening to the needs of the client. At the end of the day, you want someone that is honest, has integrity, and listens to what you really want and need.
Attention to detail & organizational skills
When you’re dealing with what is probably the biggest asset of your life, you want to make sure that the person you’re trusting to deal with the process is organized and has an attention to detail. Identifying any issues, mistakes, or writing contracts requires a lot of attention to detail, and when facilitating a number of different people throughout the lifespan of the transaction you’ll want to make sure that the realtor you put in charge of this has the systems in place to ensure there aren’t any mistakes.
Communicates well and regularly with their clients
Communication is key, and a good real estate agent will make sure that they are communicating effectively and regularly with their clients to keep them in the loop. The real estate market is time-sensitive, so you need an agent who constantly keeps you in the loop about your current buying or selling situation. A great real estate agent should be proactive in communicating with you and checking in.
Engaging personality & a passion for real estate
At the end of the day, you want to make sure you get a long with the person you’re choosing as your realtor. Do they present well? Do they have a good energy and an engaging personality? Do you trust them? When an agent has enthusiasm or a passion for real estate you’ll likely feel it. Making sure your agent has a true interest in real estate is important as well, as they’re more likely to be staying up to date on the latest topics in real estate, and continuing education and professional development, which will in turn benefit you.
Knows the local area
Which realtor your choose is also going to be specific to which area you are looking to buy or sell in. It’s important that a realtor is able to speak to the pros and cons of the local area, as well as the real estate market as trends can vary greatly from city to city. Ask the agent you’re interviewing what experience they have in the area that you’re selling or buying in.
Knows type of home you’re looking to buy or sell
Even more so than the area, making sure the agent that you choose has experience in the type of home you are selling or buying is SO important. Every type of transaction is so different, and experience selling a condo is going to require vastly different knowledge than selling acreage. When you are interviewing agents, explain the type of property that you are looking to buy or sell and make sure that the agent you are using has experience and can speak to the challenges of that type of property.
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Looking to buyer or sell real estate in the Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley areas? Start a conversation with a realtor from Bridgewell Group by calling or texting 604-319-2020 or email [email protected] to talk to a realtor about buying or selling in the Greater Vancouver area today.
