Before you hire a real estate professional for the very important job of marketing and selling or assisting you with the purchase of your most precious asset, it might be a good idea to find out how 'popular' they are!
Here are some of the ways your agent's rating or popularity with other agents might affect the sale of your home:
Business ratings, web access, and mobile marketing are becoming more and more important in today's 'tech driven' world.
If you're selling your home, the name of the game is attracting home buyers. Today's tech savvy buyers are starting their search for a home using tech tools (mobile apps, QR codes), the internet (agent websites/blogsites, Trulia, Realtor.com, Zillow), social media (Facebook, Twitter), and business review sites (Yelp, Homethinking, Incredible Agents). The more visible and 'tech friendly' to consumers your Real estate agent is... the more exposure your home will have to the masses resulting in less time on market and more offers. It's a good idea to check out an agent's 'reach' on the web before you hire one. Also check to see if an agent has been rated by past clients and read what those clients have to say. Positive comments will attract ... negative comments will have the opposite effect. To a seller, this wil
l predict the scope of buyer interest that will determine the audience for that agent's listings.
To a buyer, agent reviews will offer you the opportunity for a glimpse into how effective, responsive, and efficient that agent might be with your home purchase. Web tools are essential to busy home buyers. Make sure that your agent offers tools and services designed to make your home buying experience more comprehensive by supplying you with and exposing you to all the information that you need to make a good decision. If your busy life requires you to access data and communications on the fly... make sure that your agent offers mobile solutions, communication, and tools that will make your life easier and that conforms to how you want and need to do business.
People are different and respond to different approaches and communication. If you're the kind of person that desires a more personal and 'hands on' relationship with the agent that you choose to sell or help you buy your home, make sure that you hire and agent who has the time, resources, administrative support, and 'one on one' people skills that make sense to your lifestyle. An agent who is invested solely in supplying an awesome 'tech experience' to clients and potential clients, but fails to acknowledge that the personal touch is desired by many and just as powerful in providing a happy and successful real estate experience to a home seller or buyer, probably would not be the best choice for you. Do your homework... ask the right questions!
And finally, it's important to note that the popularity of the agent that you hire, relating to that agent's peers, is extremely important and will reflect back on the success and satisfaction quotient of your home selling or buying experience, as well. On more than one occasion, as agents, we all have been in the contemplative situation of how to deal with a notoriously difficult agent colleague and have even possibly tried to avoid entering into a real estate transaction with that agent due to the agent's reputation. Agents who 'play nicely' with other agents, who stand by the REALTOR code of ethics, and are adept at 'agent to agent ettiquette' get more showings for their home listings and are much more effective at contract negotiations for both buyers and sellers. Picking an agent who is respected and liked by his peers will result in more showings for your home, if you're a seller, and easier, more successful and amiable contract negotiations for both home buyers and sellers.
Hiring an agent with a strong web presence and a high 'popularity rating' on the web, with past clients, and with their peers is a VERY smart decision for home buyers and home sellers alike. So go ahead... do your research and run your own popularity contest... and may the 'Best Agent' win!
Here are links to some real estate information and review sites to get you started:
- Realtor.com
- Trulia
- Zillow
- Homethinking
- Incredible Agents
- Yelp
- Real Estate Ratingz
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