Buying or selling a home is a huge life event, and your real estate agent is the most important person you’ll work with during the transition.
A great real estate agent is an invaluable resource; they can help break down complex real estate concepts, walk you through the logistics of buying or selling a home and can help move the process along, saving you time, money and energy in the process.
But unfortunately, not all real estate agents are created equal. And while a great real estate agent can make the buying or selling process a breeze, the wrong agent can leave you feeling frustrated with a far too long, expensive and overwhelming real estate experience.
Here are four signs it’s time to cut your current agent loose and find a new real estate agent:
1. You just don’t vibe
Just because a real estate agent is competent and capable of helping you buy or sell your home doesn’t mean they’re the right agent for you. Sometimes, no matter how experienced or skilled they are, you just don’t vibe with your agent.
During the buying or selling process, you’re going to be extremely involved with your real estate agent. Between showings and contract negotiations and phone conferences, you’ll spend more time with your agent than pretty much anyone else in your life until your home is bought or sold. Which is why it’s important that your personalities work well together.
You don’t have to be best friends with your real estate agent, but it’s ideal to have some sort of personal connection. You’re entrusting them with one of the biggest purchases or sales of your life, and it’s important that you trust them and believe they have your best interest at heart. You also have to at least be able to tolerate their personality; as mentioned, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with them, and if their personality clashes with yours, it’s going to make the whole process less enjoyable.
If you find that your personality is just not a good match for your real estate agent, do yourself (and them!) a favor and find a new agent.
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2. Your agent is slow to respond
Things in the real estate world happen quickly, and in order to maximize your time, effort and money, you need an agent who’s on top of things. And with today’s easy access to technology, there’s no reason your agent should be out of touch for long.
While it’s unrealistic to expect your agent to drop everything every time you reach out, they should respond to all requests (whether through phone, text or email) within a reasonable time frame – which, in the real estate world, is a few hours max. Even if the response is a simple “I’m with another client and will get in touch at X time,” a good real estate agent will make sure to give you the attention you need to successfully buy or sell your home.
If you find that your emails or calls go unanswered for an entire day or longer, you should have a conversation with your real estate agent to establish communication expectations. If things don’t improve, it’s time to look for a new agent.
3. Sellers: Your house has been on the market too long
There’s no magic number for how long your house should be on the market before it sells. But a good real estate agent should be able to sell your home in a similar timeframe of other homes in your area. If your neighbors sold their home in 30 days and your house has been sitting on the market, it’s time to start asking questions.
There are many reasons your home might not be selling, like being priced too high. But your real estate agent should advise you on the reasons your home isn’t selling and make suggestions as to how to get the house sold. If your house has been sitting on the market longer than other homes in your area and your real estate agent doesn’t have any insight or suggestions, it’s probably time to move on.
4. Buyers: You’re finding more properties on your own than through your agent
If you’re buying a home, a huge part of your real estate agent’s job is to send you properties they think would match what you’re looking for. Depending on your market, your agent should be sending you new listings on at least a weekly basis. If you’re consistently finding more properties on your own by combing through listings on real estate sites than you are through your agent, it’s time to find someone new.
Your real estate agent can make or break the process of buying or selling your house. And if you’re not happy with your agent, you owe it to yourself to find someone you feel is the best fit for you and your real estate goals.
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