Estate agents are often the butt of jokes, sometimes it’s more than warranted but more often than not, it lumps in lots of people in the profession that are passionate and enthusiastic about finding the perfect properties for their clients.
When buying a property continues to be one of life’s most stressful moments, it’s important to have an estate agent that understands this and offers support throughout the process. That’s why choosing your estate agent is a key decision in your property buying journey.
So, what are the signs of a good estate agent?
Empathetic
As mentioned, buying a property can be really stressful, with lots of highs and lows. You want to have an estate agent that understands the support that buyers and sellers need in these testing times.
Being empathetic and able to relate to clients can add that extra layer of reassurance when things aren’t going to plan, or give some much-needed kind words when people feel they’ve been let down or are disappointed when a purchase or sale falls through. Estate agents have been through so many different scenarios that they’ll have insight and suggestions for what to do next and understand the emotion that goes along with it.
Experience
There is a myriad of ways that a property transaction can go, so having an experienced estate agent means that they can have the foresight to spot when issues might occur and offer you useful advice when they do. Having the experience to provide a realistic valuation based on research and local knowledge and know the market inside out is a sure sign that you’re in good hands.
A good agent will also have lots of ideas to draw on to market your property in a way that maximizes the chance of a sale – they’ll know what works and what doesn’t, and what detail to include.
Property transactions can also hit snags over the smallest details, so having someone on your side that can keep calm and try to negotiate and appease everyone in a testing scenario is key.
Communication
One of the biggest pet peeves when looking to buy and sell is not being able to get a hold of your estate agent when you need them most. Especially if there’s a hitch in proceedings and you’re not sure what to do next. To know that your estate agent is on the end of the phone or prompt at replying to emails can give you a bit of reassurance – when you’re a first-time buyer or haven’t bought or sold for years as well. They’ll communicate with your solicitors and act as the middle-man between you and your buyers and vice versa. They can also provide you with feedback after people have viewed your property and keep everything ticking over throughout the process.
Here at Home EA, we pride ourselves on being great estate agents and we’re here for you every step of the way on your buying or selling journey. If you’ve got any questions about the process or unsure what steps to take next, get in touch with our team today.
