Top Five Things to Look for When Hiring a Real Estate Agent

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, one of the most important first steps is to hire a real estate agent. Hiring an agent helps you save time, reduce stress and gets you the most out of your financial investment. The agent will operate on your behalf, handling many of the tasks required for a successful home sale or purchase. Your real estate agent will research homes, complete paperwork, communicate with buyers/sellers and their agents, market your home and more.

With so many real estate agents in the Niagara Region, it can be difficult to choose the best agent for your needs. To help you find the right one, we’ve compiled a list of things to look for when hiring a real estate agent.

Ability to communicate clearly - Your agent should listen to your wants and needs, also, communicate buying and selling procedures so that you are both on the same page.

Knowledge of the Real-Estate market - Make sure your agent knows the different markets and how they are changing over time. Keep in mind that different markets can be located in the same area, for example, three-bedroom bungalows vs. semi detached back splits or vacant/owner occupied homes vs. tenanted investment properties, etc.

Knowing when to refer you to a specialist - Your agent should understand and communicate if there is another agent/colleague better suited to your needs. For example, commercial/industrial properties, larger lots of vacant land or out of area sales, etc. A quality agent will refer you to an agent in the area you are looking to buy or another agent specializing in industrial real estate services rather than take it on themselves and possibly make a mistake.

Good vibe/“click”/confidence - It’s important that you “click” with your agent. He/She should make you feel confident in their abilities and work hard to earn your trust.

Negotiation skills - Hands down, your agent needs them. Some real estate agents have a natural ability, and some learn through experience; an agent with both is ideal.

To buy or sell a home in the Niagara region, contact Brian Toye at Re/Max Garden City Realty St. Catharines. For more information on buying or selling with confidence with our knowledgeable and experienced team, visit our website at www.briantoye.ca. To view our listings, please click here.