Essential Skills Your Real Estate Agent Needs
Critical Competencies of Your Real Estate Agent
The finding of Miramar houses for sale is somewhat related to finding hidden treasures: you would need a map, a guide, and maybe a little more-luck. But above all, you will require one of the best agents to be at your service.
Why? Because that agent, knowing the market inside out, may just be the ace up your sleeve. Now, let’s get on to why this skill is going to change everything.
For example, my friend Lisa was searching for a home in Austin, which, with the high amount of available homes, felt pretty overwhelming. Her agent was able to advise her on which neighborhoods were up-and-coming and which had peaked. This knowledge saved her time and stress, and she found her dream home before prices blew out of proportion.
It’s not all about the property values or school districts, either: a sharp sense of market dynamics is all about timing-when is the best moment in time to buy or sell? Agents who are dialed into market fluctuations can advise whether to strike while the iron’s hot or wait until better conditions come along.
The other important thing-skills of negotiation grounded on market knowledge. Try to imagine bargaining and not knowing the price of something-you may pay too much or lose a good opportunity. An astute agent exploits his knowledge in negotiations so that value for every dollar spent-or even better, for selling-is realized.
It doesn’t stop here, though: such wisdom extends the benefits to buyers and even to sellers. Assuming that, in due time, you’re about to sell your house and you have absolutely no idea what the price of your house could be today, let alone six months ago, or even last week. A well-read agent would give you proper pricing strategies based on today’s data and not yesterday’s news, letting your listings outshine others in competitive markets.
Think about the network: Locally-based agents have an amazing network of all other agents, contractors, inspectors-you name it. All too often, they’re able to expedite processes that might drag on ad infinitum if left solely to you-and Google.
Your house is for sale, and you want to touch it up. Well-connected agents know some pretty good painters who’ll do it right and won’t charge them much. You get an all-access backstage pass into some sort of VIP club of local experts.
Let me now talk about one other very important skill: ascertaining the client’s needs. Great agents are half mind readers, half therapists in that they listen-really listen-to what one does and doesn’t want in a property. They will remember you hate long commutes or love open floor plans and use that to filter out the bad options.
And a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either. Seriously, house hunting is just stressful, and it is always nice to have someone around who will lighten things up with a joke or some funny story. My cousin Mike had an agent who would always find a way to make him laugh in their search-it made what could have been tedious into fun.
And then, of course, there is the communication-too: a great agent will keep you in the loop through every stage-texts, calls, emails, or all three. You won’t be left in the dark about what’s happening with your offer or if there are new listings available that match your criteria.
Estate Agent: The Skills They Should Have Amidst the madness of real estate, a great agent is somewhat like that gourmet chef-mixing and blending ingredients so that your taste buds do the tango with glee. What, then, sets the wheat apart from the chaff? In a nutshell, communication does.
Just think about buying your first home: very exciting, but also really nervous. It is like a roller coaster without foresight on when the next drop is; a great agent will be that seatbelt, guiding you through and keeping you tight so you can feel secure.
The final consideration will deal with some reasons why stellar communication can make or break an agent experience.
Listening as if one’s life depended on it.
First, great agents listen much, much more than they talk. You know, have you ever had a conversation with someone, and it just felt like you were talking to the wall? That won’t quite cut it here. An effective agent will listen intently to all the details you describe about your dream home or investment goals and use the information as his guide.
Think of Sarah and Tom, newly married couples looking forward to their first home together. This had to be cozy but spacious enough for a future kid or two, near good schools, yet within walking distance of cafes and parks. And the agent didn’t just nod but made sure each property fit these criteria before showing them anything.
Clear As Crystal Communication
Next is clarity about the information being provided. When purchasing or selling a property, there are terms involved even Einstein might get wrong. The agent needs to break it down into smaller pieces so anyone can understand.
Think back to high school math class when everything sounded Greek until Mr. Smith explained it using pizza slices? That s exactly what great agents do they turn confusing contracts into understandable chunks so you re never left scratching your head wondering what’s happening next.
Prompt and timely responses
In real estate, timing is everything; that one missed call or belated email may just be the thin line between an excellent deal. Great agents respond promptly because they realize that time waits for no man, least of all anxious buyers awaiting their dream home. Think of it this way: after days of pursuing listing after listing, at midnight, Jane finally hit her perfect apartment online; it was love at first sight. She immediately e-mailed her realtor, who sent a response within a few minutes of her midnight e-mail, and in the morning light, Jane had set an appointment because of the quick response of her attentive agent.
Negotiation is an art. Great communication extends to the negotiation table, too. Just like chess-where every single move counts-your agent should be your grandmaster, knowing his next move and the probable counter-moves with great astuteness. He will tell your needs in such an articulate way that you get a good deal. Remember Mark? He sold his family home and was nervous about the price. Beyond the thorough market analysis she provided, his agent communicated well to buyer’s agents, emphasizing the strengths of the property, while frank about concerns.
