THE REAL ESTATE Insider
4 DEMANDS TO MAKE ON YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT
Tell the Truth • Understand the Timetable • Remove Challenges • Find the Right House
Are you thinking of buying a
home? Are you dreading having
to walk through strangers’ houses?
Are you concerned about getting
the paperwork correct? Hiring a
professional real estate agent can
take away most of the challenges
of buying. A great agent is always
worth more than the commission
they charge just like a great doctor or
great accountant. You want to deal
with one of the best agents in your
marketplace. To do this, you must be
able to distinguish the average agent
from the great one.
Here are the top 4 demands to make
of your Real Estate Agent when
buying a home:
1. Tell the Truth About the Price
Too many agents just take your
offer at any price and then try to
‘work’ both the seller and you while
negotiating later. Demand that the
agent prove to you that they have a
belief in the price you are offering.
Make them show you their plan to
get both the seller - and the bank to accept that price. Every house in
today’s market must be sold two times
– first to you and then to your bank.
The second sale may be more
difficult than the first. The residential
appraisal process has gotten tougher.
A recent survey showed that there
was a challenge with the appraisal
on 24% of all residential real estate
transactions. It has become more
difficult to get the banks to agree
on the contract price. A red flag
should be raised if your agent is not
discussing this with you at the time of
the original offer.
is critical in this market. Remember:
If you have an agent who was weak
negotiating with you on parts of the
purchase offer, don’t expect them to
turn into a super hero when they are
negotiating with the seller for you and
your family.
2. Understand the Timetable with
which Your Family is Dealing
You will be moving your family
into a new home. Whether the
move revolves around the start of a
new school year or a new job, you
will be trying to put the move to a
plan. This can be very emotionally
draining. Demand from your agent
an appreciation for the timetables you
are setting. You agent cannot pick
the exact date of your move, but they
should exert any influence they can,
to make it work.
4. Find the Right HOUSE!
There is a reason you are putting
yourself and your family through the
process of moving. You are moving
on with your life in some way. The
reason is important or you wouldn’t
be dealing with the headaches and
challenges that come along with
purchasing. Do not allow your
agent to forget these motivations.
Constantly remind them that finding
the right house is why you hired
them. Make sure that they don’t
worry about your feelings more than
they worry about your family. If they
discover something needs to be done
to attain your goal (i.e. rethinking
price), insist they have the courage to
inform you.
3. Remove as Many of the
Challenges as Possible
It is imperative that your agent knows
how to handle the challenges that will
arise. An agent’s ability to negotiate
Good agents know how to deliver
good news. Great agents know
how to deliver tough news. In
today’s market, YOU NEED A
GREAT AGENT!