Real estate agent as a convenience service: how to choose the right one?
A real estate agent helps you navigate the real estate market more safely and also makes the whole buying, selling or renting process more convenient. ELUM real estate agent Kätlin Valgmäe points out important observations to keep in mind when choosing a real estate agent.
There are many realtors in the real estate market, one more experienced than the other. When selling, renting or buying real estate for the first time, finding a suitable realtor can be quite difficult. Generally, we do not choose a real estate agent for just one transaction, but if the selection is successful, they become a lifelong cooperation partner whom we can turn to at any time with our real estate-related concerns and wishes. It is all the more important that the cooperation with the realtor goes smoothly at every level,” said Valgmäe.
Get to know the background of the realtor
You probably don’t have to look very far when making your first choice. “First, take a look at your circle of friends and find out who they can recommend. Surely someone has heard from somewhere that someone has made real estate transactions and successfully found or sold a home. They are the people who have fresh and direct experience and maybe some good realtor recommendations as well,” said Valgmäe.
However, the background of different realtors can also be found successfully on the Internet. “It is worth looking at the website of the Estonian Chamber of Realtors, where you can find a list of registered real estate agents. Be sure to find out what feedback has been left for the realtor and how the realtor markets and characterizes themself.. That way, you get an idea of what the realtor’s image is like and a sense of whether your visions could match,” said the realtor.
Although it is a good recommendation to familiarize yourself with the realtor’s background on the Internet, Valgmäe admits that one thing is what you read online, while the other is real-life experience. “Since the choice of a realtor is largely cognitive, in the case of a potential realtor it is definitely worth meeting them face to face and only then making a choice.”
Characteristics of a good real estate agent
According to Valgmäe, there are several personal characteristics that should be noted in a good realtor. “They must be a skilled communicator and an even more skilled listener and reader of people, in order to be on the same wavelength with the parties in their daily work. An important quality is also the ability to empathize, which is expressed in the fact that a real estate agent knows how to put themself in other people’s shoes and see things from, for example, the client’s point of view.”
Since speed is an important indicator in the real estate field, active drive and initiative are also of great benefit in the eyes of a realtor. “However, one of the prerequisites for these characteristics is that the realtor pays attention to details and is curious in a good way,” described Valgmäe.
Experience and specialty of a real estate agent
Experience is a value in itself for realtors – the longer the experience, the broader the scope. Some realtors may have their own specialty in which real estate transactions their strengths stand out the most. “Thanks to the internet, you can view the real estate portfolio of realtors in real time. There are, for example, those who are focused on luxury apartments, but also, for example, those who deal with real estate. Several offices have established the areas of activity of real estate agents by region. When making a choice, it is worth considering these nuances and thinking about where my real estate is categorized and which realtor’s previous experience it matches,” suggested Valgmäe.
Establish your wishes and conditions
However, before contacting a real estate agent, you should establish your wishes and conditions, because this way it is easier for the realtor to meet expectations. “Prior negotiations with the bank help define the price playing field, thanks to which you can either limit the potential choice or, on the contrary, expand it. If the price ceiling is in place, from there you can already think about the area and the size of the apartment or house,” said the realtor.
However, according to Valgmäe, it is not worth setting too strict limits when setting the conditions, because this way many pearls in the form of homes can be left out of the filters. “It pays to be open and look at homes that do not seem suitable at first glance, but have a lot of potential in the eyes of the realtor. The real feeling comes only when you see the right home with your own eyes – be flexible and the right home will come to you,” said Valgmäe.
