You can search the web for what makes for a a good real estate agent, and find a ton of generic advice. Lists of 10 or more items you should look for when selecting your agent or broker.
Most of those generic recommendation lists are good, but many are missing some of the most important points in helping you select a partner to find or sell a home. Here are the ones that we find important.
- A good match between the buyer or seller’s values and the values of the agent or broker. Stating the obvious, if you have a buyer who is looking for fixer uppers and a broker who is focused on high end luxurious properties, that obviously won’t be a good match. More subtle differences in values are equally important. Are you a detail-oriented person? Then try to find a detail-oriented broker to work with — one who will take the time to do your detailed inventory and enjoy detail-oriented tasks.
- Problem-solvers. Every problem has a solution. Is your broker one who will anticipate issues and look for solutions, or one who will wash his or her hands of issues that arise?
- Deep knowledge of the local market. At Prestige Real Estate of Killington, we only focus on one town — Killington. And we handle only property sales — either representing buyers or sellers. Killington is the town we call home and love. We know every nook and cranny and we know most people who deliver reliable services in town. Don’t come to us for rentals, which is a totally different market, and don’t ask us about properties in neighboring towns, where the real estate dynamics are vastly different than what they are in Killington — a vacation destination town.
- Out of the box thinking, especially as it relates to marketing. We wrote about our philosophy on that topic here.
- Passion. Yes, an overused concept,but trust us, working with someone who does not like what they are doing is painful.
Of course we’re biased, but we feel like we embody each and everyone of those characteristics. We love what we do, we love where we live, and we love working with property buyers and sellers.
What else would are you looking for in a real estate agent or broker?
