Selling or buying a home can be a stressful and complex process. For most people, it may be one of the biggest most expensive things that they do, something that can be quite daunting. Thankfully, most people aren’t required to sell a home on their own, as they have an expert real estate agent by their side. Real estate agents typically have a large amount of education and experience related to the real estate market, making their help valuable when buying and selling a home. A real estate agent can teach you how to buy a home and sell a home, something that can really help you get the maximum value out of a real estate deal. Forming a healthy relationship with your real estate agent is extremely important and could mean the difference between getting a good deal on your home or getting ripped off. So how exactly can you form a positive working relationship with your real estate agent? Here are five steps to working with your real estate agent.
Create A Plan
The first thing you should do with your real estate agent is to establish a plan of what the two of you are going to do. If you’re selling a home, this plan could include open house dates or renovations that would aid with the sale. If you’re buying a home, then this plan could include the homes you’re visiting or potential offers you could make. Regardless of what’s in your plan, just sitting down and creating some sort of structure with your agent is good for establishing a framework for the relationship. This plan can then be used as a guideline to aid you and your real estate agent for the rest of the process. Whereas you must also have a reliable source while you are buying or selling your house. A good real estate agent, working alongside conveyancers, will help you to sell your house fast and ensure you get a good deal, while the conveyancers handle the legal aspects of the sale.
A real estate agent can also be a great resource to help you find the house of your dreams. They will have extensive knowledge about the market in every neighbourhood and they know what homes are for sale, how much those houses cost, who owns them, their history as well as which neighbourhoods might provide everything you’re looking for.
Be Punctual
Another key to a successful relationship with your real estate agent is to be punctual at all times. If you’re late to meetings or tours, then your agent could become frustrated with you and turn the relationship sour. This is an important process, and being on time to important events is vital. Being late to important events could send the wrong message to your agent, causing him to think that you don’t care or aren’t invested in the process. This could negatively affect their work and your ability to work together overall. Simply avoid this problem by being punctual and showing up when and where your agent instructs you to do so.
Openly Communicate
As with any relationship, communication between client and real estate agent is key to a successful relationship. Openly communicating with your agent allows them to understand exactly what it is you want from a home. This includes the type of house you’re looking for and its price. If you struggle to communicate with your agent, then they may have trouble pinpointing exactly what you’re looking for in a home. This could result in you being dissatisfied by the homes the agent looks into and ultimately missing out on your dream home. Avoid this problem by simply clearly and openly communicating your wants and desires to your agent, something that will lead to a successful working relationship.
Trust Your Agent
Any professional relationship must be built on trust, and a client’s relationship with their agent is no different. Your agent is experienced and educated, making them an expert in their field. While this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t challenge them or ask questions, it does mean that they probably know best when it comes to real estate. If they think something will work, then it is probably wise to trust their judgment and expertise. Doing this will make the client-agent relationship much smoother and will allow the real estate agent to do their job much more effectively.
Read All Forms
This step is just basic common sense, but it should still be practiced in all business settings. Signing forms and contracts is a very serious thing, and once it’s complete there’s no turning back. Overturning a signature can be very difficult, which makes being aware of what you’re signing important. Make sure you read every document that your real estate agent sends over, and don’t sign anything until you understand the document thoroughly. Practicing this can help you be much more informed on the process and can also protect you from some serious legal nightmares.