If you’ve decided to buy or sell a home in Southwest Florida, you’ll need to hire an experienced real estate agent to help ensure things go smoothly. And much like when you need to hire a roofer, contractor or pool installation company, you’ll want to interview a few before you decide which agent will work best for you.
If you’ve never needed to hire a real estate agent before, you’re likely wondering which types of questions you should ask. Coming up with a list of good questions is important, as this will help you sort the good and the bad from the ugly.
How long have you had your license?
When it comes to selling a home, experience is everything. Experienced real estate agents have likely seen it all—which means they’ll be able to help you navigate bumps in the road if they arise. Not only can they help guide you through the selling process, they’ll be better equipped to handle problems that may pop up during the transaction.
Does this mean you shouldn’t work with a newly licensed agent? Not necessarily. When you work with a new agent, they may not have as many clients to tend to. The upside to this is that you’re more likely to get their undivided attention. If you find a new agent that you like, be sure to ask them if they work alone or as part of a team. If they are working as part of a team, this is a good sign. This means they’ll have someone to turn to if something out of the ordinary comes up during the course of the sale.
How well do they know the area?
Every real estate market has micro-markets. For example, just because an agent is experienced in the Naples market doesn’t mean they’re also experienced in the Fort Myers market. If you want to sell a home in Naples, for example, you’ll want to find an agent who has a high success rate of selling homes in that community. The same holds true if you’re wanting to sell in Bonita Springs, Estero or Fort Myers.
This question is also important if you need to hire an agent to help you purchase a home. In this case, the agent will be well equipped to answer questions about the school district, community expansion plans (i.e. if new condos are going to be built or if a new neighborhood park is in the works) and how much you should plan to pay in property taxes. These are exactly the types of things you’ll want to factor into your buying decision.
Ask for references
Most people understand the importance of checking references of job applicants. If you’re planning on hiring a real estate agent, you’ll want to do the same. Ask candidates if they’re willing to provide you with a list of the homes they’ve sold in the past 12 months, along with the listing price and final sales price. You’ll also want to ask them for names and phone numbers of some of their past clients.
You’ll want to ask the clients if the agent was responsive to inquiries. Did the agent respond in a timely manner or did it take several days to get a reply? How much support did they provide? How effective were they in the negotiations process? All of these points are important to consider.
Ask about their marketing plans
If you’re planning on selling your home, you’ll want to know everything you can about how a real estate agent plans to market it. Will they be relying solely on direct mail campaigns or will they advertise your listing? If they’re planning to advertise, will they be using social media? How many followers do they have? How many followers does the real estate brokerage have? Will they be advertising in other online forums and if so, which ones? Do they plan to use print advertising and if so, how often does the publication come out and how big is the readership and print run? Be sure to ask about the type of photography they offer and how experienced the photographer is in taking listing photos.
What makes an agent and your property stand out from the competition?
Regardless as to whether you’re looking to hire a buyer’s agent or a seller’s agent, a good candidate will be able to provide reasons why they’re the best person for the job. Since everyone’s needs are different, knowing what makes this particular agent great can help you make your final decision.
D. Michael Burke, P.A.
Paradise Luxury Group
Keller Williams Elite Realty
26381 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 300
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
239-498-7600
Michael@ParadiseREG.com
www.ParadiseLuxuryGroup.com
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