There are thousands of Real Estates Agents across the country, so which should you trust when you need to buy or sell a home?
Narrow down your options by looking for these 5 signs that indicate your Agent is trustworthy:
1. You’re impressed with how they represent you and themselves
You don’t have to be head over heels in love with your real estate agent, but you need to at least enjoy being around him or her. You will spend a lot of time communicating with your agent, so the relationship needs to be a good one to help make the experience as painless as possible. There’s nothing worse than dealing with a person who you don’t like being around, especially if the going gets rough. If you don’t cringe at the sound of your agent’s voice then you might have found the right one.
Also your agent’s continued behavior is paramount to your success finding a home or selling your property. You want someone that is going to connect with potential buyers and sellers, not be off-putting from the get-go.
A good real estate agent doesn’t just sell properties—they sell themselves. It’s important to show your real personality. People will respond to you if you have a great attitude, personable and honest, have confidence in your abilities, and are interested in helping them and others.
2. You can tell your agent understands the neighborhood
Agents don’t need to live in the neighborhood you’re looking through, but they should be extremely familiar with it or have researched it thoroughly. They should be able to list recent sales nearby and local amenities. Essentially, if they’re trying to get you to buy in this area, there should be a reason.
3. Your agent is being honest and forthright
The most limiting thing that could happen during your house hunt or selling your property, is knowing your agent isn’t being honest with you.
If you feel like your agent is hiding something from you to make a sale or is keeping any information from you, that’s a clear sign you should be working with someone else.
4. You’re not working as hard as your agent
This may seem obvious, but you should not be working as hard as your agent to find a home. Look through listings, research neighborhoods, and yes, do your due diligence. But your agent should be putting serious effort, sending you stuff at weird hours and getting the job done. Consistent communication is a good indicator that your agent is working as hard as possible.
5. Your agent has a Strong Online Presence
In today’s world, a lot of Agents work is done online on social media, listing sites, and through email. If your Agent is not tech-savvy or does not make an effort to create a strong online presence for himself, he may not be fully committed to his job.
Google your Agent name to see if he has a LinkedIn profile. Whether he is connected to a lot of other agents in the area. Networking is an important part of a job, so he should be doing this on LinkedIn or other social media networks.
You should also look at the quality of his website. Does he provide a lot of information in each section? This shows that he spends time thinking about what to say and how to sell a home.
A strong online presence indicates that your Agent is passionate about his job and will work tirelessly to help you buy or sell a home.
In Quebec:Trust in Real Estate Agents has Increased
According to a recent survey conducted by Léger:
82% of Quebec residents who intend to buy or sell a house in the coming year plan to use the services of a real estate Agent. This is an increase of more than 20 percentage points to 2013 .
The data also show that the level of trust in real estate Agents and the perceived value of their services have increased.
Furthermore, Quebecers are more fearful than before of buying or selling a home without the help of a Agent. As the level of confidence in buying or selling alone fell by 7% and 10% respectively in 2019, as compared to 2013.
The survey also indicates that Quebecers’ satisfaction with the work of real estate Agents has improved in several respects since 2013. The Agent per the survey :
- Knew the laws and regulations relating to the sale of the property , 87% in 2019 – 83% in 2013.
- Obtained the best possible price , 75% in 2019 – 71% in 2013.
- Properly and objectively assessed the property (using comparable sold properties, for example) , 81% in 2019 – 76% in 2013.
Clearly, Quebecers believe that a real estate Agent’s expertise and their understanding of the market. And also all the legal aspects surrounding a transaction, are undeniable advantages when buying or selling a home.