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By W. Troy
Swezey
Whether you’re a first-time buyer, selling your current home or relocating to
a different part of the country, the support of a qualified, knowledgeable
real estate agent can alleviate many of your concerns and ensure a smooth
transaction. A professional agent can market your present residence, help
you locate the home of your dreams and assist in making your transfer to an
unfamiliar area easier.
To find a trained sales associate or broker, you may need to look no further
than your own neighborhood or home town. If a well-established brokerage is
involved in many listings and sale, this is a god sign. Speak with some of
the agent’s past customers about the quality and integrity of service and
performance. Successful real estate agents rely heavily on customer referrals
and will therefore strive to provide the very best in customer service and
satisfaction.
Set up appointments to “interview” agents and brokers much like an employer
world interview a prospective employee. Inquire about their training,
marketing programs and specific service policies. Also determine how many
years of experience they have, the number of listings they have had, and the
number of homes they have sold within the past few years. More importantly,
find out how well they know the area. Ask for references, and check them out.
Your goal is to determine just how knowledgeable the agents are. Question them
on financing, closing costs and/or local market conditions, depending on
whether you’re a prospective home buyer or seller, to determine their
expertise. If they know their stuff, they should be able to answer your
questions effortlessly.
If you’re selling your home, learn what they will do if you decide to list
with them. How do they plan to market your home? Will they provide you with a
market analysis to help you determine the most effective listing price for
your property? Will they supply regular progress reports and assist with
negotiations once you’ve received offers?
If you are relocating to a different part of the country, is your agent
connected with a national relocation service that will not only expose your
present property to incoming transferees, but assist with your search for a
new house?
Ask for a written guarantee that everything promised will be delivered. The
CENTURY 21® organization, for example, backs its listings with the CENTURY 21
Seller Service Pledge. This 11-point written commitment covers
everything from furnishing the seller with a marketing plan to monitoring pre-
settlement activities throughout the closing process. It also gives the
seller the right to terminate the listing if the pledge is not fulfilled.
A qualified real estate agent should be able to answer all your questions and
provide you with qualify service that is courteous and responsible. Finding
the right person may take time and patience, buy when purchasing or selling a
home, the selection of a dependable agent should be tops on your list.
W. Troy Swezey is the author of “FINDING A CAPABLE AGENT TO MEET YOUR REAL
ESTATE NEEDS." As a Realtor at Century 21 Paul & Associates, he has helped
many individuals with their real estate needs. Visit his web site to download
his free e-book, “REAL ESTATE SECRETS EXPOSED.” http://www.TroyIsMyRealtor.
com (http://www.TroyIsMyRealtor.com) or mail to: TroyC21@usa.net
(mailto:TroyC21@usa.net)
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