Most home sellers have very little experience with real estate agents. For that reason, they may not know a good real estate agent from a less-than-perfect agent, at least not until it is too late. An excellent real estate agent is like a conductor, guiding a group of resources towards a final goal: the sale of the house. Here are the top ten characteristics of the real estate agents who do the best job.
1. Local knowledge
It is incredibly important for the person selling a home to have recent sales experience and success at selling homes in the area. Someone new in town or who has never sold a home in a particular part of town is, in many ways, a beginner. Sellers have a right to pick a winner so start things out right by making sure you’re the best man, or woman, for the job.
2. Organised with attention to detail
A real estate agent that is organized and likes to work with attention to detail is the one that is most likely to sell a home. This is especially true in a hard-to-sell market. Great agents know the tiniest changes sellers can make to improve the sale-ability of their home. They are creative with their online listings and they take the best photographs of each home. They return client calls promptly and make every appointment on time.
3. Connections and representation
The top agents come to a home with a prospective buyers list. They also are working with a well-known agency. They know other realtors in the area, too, and are willing to work with others if that sells the home faster.
4. Tenacity
Sellers want an agent that is tenacious. They follow up quickly after every time the home is shown. They appear to work hard and they rarely give up.
5. Aggressive yet polite attitude
The best realtor is not afraid to speak up. He or she should be just as promotional about the seller’s home as if it was their own. By being aggressive, the realtor is working hard to put the home at the forefront of the local market.
6. Flair and good grooming
Sellers have worked hard to prepare their homes for showing. They want, and need, a realtor that puts their best foot forward. An agent with flair exudes confidence and makes prospective buyers feel at ease. This way, prospective buyers get the impression that their agent would not even list a home that was not an excellent buy.
7. Knowledge of technology
An agent that can use technology with ease is going to be more up-to-date on the market in the area. They will also be more likely to be an organised person who has their act together. This is the type of person sellers want to help to sell their homes.
8. Honesty
Sellers need an honest agent, one that will tell them like it is, even if they’re not the easiest to hear. This type of person will lay out exactly what the seller can expect, from the sale price to timing and more. In the end, honesty will save sellers lots of worries.
9. Hardworking
A realtor should appear to be tireless and should work on the sale of each home as if it was the most important thing in their life.
These are the most common qualities of successful real estate agents. Emulate these qualities and you’ll be more successful, no matter how difficult the sales environment is at the moment.
Originally published in Real Estate Insider Mag
