Evaluating Your Agent
Kierman Realtors is a home to some of the most effective and professional real estate agents in the business. We are very proud of the strategic sales systems we have trained our agents to utilize, and we invite you to compare the knowledge and expertise of our agents to anyone in the business. We strive to surpass the competition by exceeding your expectations
It is vitally important that the agent you are working with has a specific plan of action for selling your property. Without such a plan, your property may not be made available to enough prospective buyers to produce a sale. Your property could lose value if it stays on the market too long and appear to be undesirable, when it was actually just under-marketed. You can assess your agent’s ability to successfully reach all possible buyers, and sell your property quickly, by evaluating their plan of action.
In keeping with the concept of established systems, we have provided you with a system for evaluating real estate agents. Each of the sub-selections to the left offer a better understanding of the real estate sales profession, and detailed instructions for determining the proficiency of your real estate agent. Kierman Realtors is confident that applying this test to any of our agents will provide you with the confidence that you’re working with some of the best people in the industry, because your satisfaction is our most valued asset.
The Benefits of Using a Professional Agent
Professional agents bring a certain expertise that is indispensable in the complex process of buying and selling real estate. Real estate agents deal with the buying and selling of houses every day, and Kierman Realtors agents know the local marketplace better than anyone in the area. The number of different strategies and techniques that a Kierman Realtors agent will utilize to sell your home is staggering. All of these avenues bring more prospects quicker, allowing you to receive the most for your property. How to attract the most buyers in the least amount time is the concern of many sellers. Kierman Realtors agents are experts at doing just that.
If you are debating the use of a professional real estate agent, consider the following:
- Do I know how to price my house correctly without the use of an agent?
- Do I have the time to make myself available to prospective buyers?
- Do I have experience writing newspaper advertisements?
- Do I know where to get “For Sale” signs to put in my lawn?
- Do I have the time to have open houses?
- Do I know what to say when showing my house?
- Do I know how to deal with brokers that may be working with buyers?
- Do I have the time, technology, and connections to attract all possible buyers?
These are all things that need to be thought through before attempting to sell your property. Selling real estate can be a long and arduous process for the beginner. Real Estate professionals are involved with the buying and selling of houses on a daily basis, and are knowledgeable about the most effective ways to market real estate.
The object of selling a house is to reach all potential buyers. By using the networks available through Kierman Realtors, you can achieve this. A recent study shows that the vast majority of properties are sold through real estate professionals. By attempting to sell your property without a Real Estate sales professional, you are putting yourself at risk of missing out on some of the marketing and networking advantages that Kierman Realtors can offer.
Methods for Evaluating Your Agent
You shouldn’t just pick the first real estate agency that you walk into. The real estate agency that you choose should be one that you feel absolutely confident with. Interview several agents and compare your findings. The agent you choose will represent you in one of the most important processes of your life. Therefore there are certain questions that you should ask agents to help you narrow down your choices:
- Are you a broker, or an agent?
- Will I be working directly with you or with your associate?
- Are you a subagent of another agent?
- Who do you normally represent – the buyer or the seller?
- How long have you held your real estate license?
- Are you a member of the National Association of Realtors?
- Are you a full-time real estate professional or is this just a part-time job for you?
- How long have you been with this company?
- How long has your company been in business?
- How long have you been active in this community?
- Do you have any designations?
- Can you give me references of recent clients?
- How will you come up with a price for my house?
- What type of marketing plan will you put together to sell my house?
- What houses have you or your office sold recently?
- What will I end up paying you after all is said and done?
When evaluating potential agents you need to also ask yourself certain questions:
- Will your agent reach a broad spectrum of potential buyers?
- Did the agent have a specific plan to reach buyers?
- Did the agent seem to have a good idea of property values?
- Does the agent contact other agents to help sell the property?
- Does the agent utilize Open Houses as a marketing tool?
- Does the agent help with the closing of the property?
These are all valid questions and should be looked at carefully when evaluating real estate agents. For more information about this topic, refer to the Assessing Your Agent’s Plan of Action page. Kierman Realtors is confident that applying this test to any of Kierman Realtors’s agents will provide you with the confidence that you’re working with some of the best people in the industry.
At Kierman Realtors, your satisfaction is our most valued asset
Understanding Agent Representation
Traditionally, real estate agents represented only the seller, and guided the sale in the best interest of the seller, leaving buyers somewhat on their own. Over the past decade, a new trend has arisen regarding representation for the buyer. Real estate brokers and agents who represent the best interests of the buyer are known as buyer’s brokers.
In order to understand the difference between a seller’s agent and a buyer’s agent, you should first understand some important real estate terminology. The terms are as follows:
A Broker is someone that is licensed by the state to practice in real estate.
An Agent, or sales associate, can also be licensed but has to work under a broker. The broker takes full responsibility for the agent/sales associate’s actions.
A Realtor is someone that belongs to the National Association of Realtors. This association has a special code of ethics that every member has to follow.
The Principal/Client is the individual that the broker represents.
The customer is the third party involved in the sale. For instance, if a broker represents the seller, the buyer is the customer.
Real Estate professionals, whether brokers or agents, have fiduciary duties that are owed to the principals. The fiduciary duties are:
· loyalty – a buyer’s agent must commit to getting the lowest price
for the buyer – while a seller’s agent must commit to
getting the highest price for the seller.
· obedience - the broker or agent must adhere to the wishes of
the principal, unless illegal
· confidentiality - the broker or agent cannot reveal facts unless
the principal approves
· notice - the broker or agent must notify the principal of any fact
that is of his/her interest to know
By finding out who a broker or agent’s fiduciary duties are owed to, you can determine whether they are a buyer’s agent or a seller’s agent. These duties are owed to the principal. The easiest way to find out who an agent represents is to ask. It may also be wise to have the agent put something in writing regarding who they represent.
A Kierman Realtors broker will work for you, whether you are the buyer or the seller, so that your best interests will be represented. Kierman Realtors representatives are trained to negotiate the best terms for the principal. Their job is to provide you with the necessary information to help you make the best decisions. A Kierman Realtors broker offers the principal:
- Confidential negotiation strategies
- Advice on getting the best price and terms
- The latest technology tools to help you find or sell your home
- Assistance in making informed decisions
Kierman Realtors agents take the guesswork out of the process of selling your home, so that you do not have to take on the battle alone. This partnership, between a Kierman Realtors agent and the seller will ensure that the seller gets the best value possible.
At Kierman Realtors, your satisfaction is our most valued asset!
Assessing an Agent’s Plan of Action
It is vitally important that the agent you are working with has a specific plan of action for selling your property. Without such a plan, your property may not be made available to enough prospective buyers to produce a sale. Your property could lose value if it stays on the market too long, appearing to be undesirable, when it was actually just under-marketed.
You can assess your agent’s ability to successfully reach all possible buyers, and sell your property quickly, by evaluating their plan of action:
Does the agent follow a specific marketing plan to sell your property?
This marketing plan should be pre-established and the agent should be able to describe it to you instinctively. An effective marketing plan will incorporate all of the procedures presented in this web site.
Are there any areas that the agent will not explore in order to locate buyers?
Will the agent be able to reach buyers that are relocating from afar in addition to buyers from the immediate community? Will the agent be able to reach buyers who are not using a real estate agent to find property?
Will other agents be utilized to sell your property?
The vast majority of homes are sold through real estate agents. Many times, agents need to incorporate other agents into their selling techniques. By doing so, they open up opportunities that would have otherwise been unavailable. Will the agent make use of other real estate agents and real estate offices?
Can the agent set an accurate price for your property?
Choosing the wrong pricing strategy can be the difference between selling your house in a few weeks or a few months. What specific steps will the agent take to accurately determine the best selling price for your property?
Will the agent utilize open house presentations to their fullest?
Open houses are a way to attract a number of buyers as well as other agents and brokers.
Can the agent make a house “come alive” in the presentation?
Even if an agent can bring a great many potential buyers to your property, what will be done once the buyers are in the house? The presentation of your property needs to be done professionally and convincingly to make the prospective buyer want to purchase.
By gaining the answer to these questions, you should gain a pretty good prospective of whether you are in good hands or not. Very few houses, if any, will sell themselves. It is vitally important that your agent have an effective marketing plan for the selling of your property.
Kierman Realtors is confident that applying this test to any of Kierman Realtors’s agents will provide you with the confidence that you’re working with some of the best people in the industry.
At Kierman Realtors, your satisfaction is our most valued asset.
