Choosing the right agent is paramount to a successful home sale. But what metrics do you use to choose that agent? Most people go with their gut or rely on friends’ advice. Here’s 4 things you can do to vet your agent options.
- Look at their website.
Websites are constantly evolving and developing. The aesthetics of them alone change almost as quickly as the fashion industry.
If the agent doesn’t have a modern website, or in some cases a website at all!, it could be a red flag that the agent isn’t working very hard. Furthermore if a website doesn’t show your home in its best light, how are your buyers going to react?
A modern website should have large photos, technologies to capture leads on your home, and have easy navigation. It should be simple for you, and therefore your buyer leads, to use. It should also feature your home on the front page.
- Do They Have Any Marks Against Their Name?
In any jurisdiction there is a regulator that monitors and enforces the professionalism of realtors.
In Alberta it is the Real Estate Council of Alberta. They enforce the Real Estate Act and are responsible for investigating and punishing misbehaviour by realtors. Their findings are published on their website at www.reca.ca and there’s a very convenient search button in the top right corner. Put an agent’s name in there and see if they have any cases against them.
- How Current is Their Info?
The single most visited real estate website in Canada is realtor.ca yet many agents don’t even have a proper profile on that website. A professional agent, with a professional photo and bio, gives consumers confidence that they’re contacting a real person about your home. You can also do the same search on zillow.com which is a very successful private competitor to the industry owned realtor.ca
- Are They Current?
It’s not enough to have a website or a blog. It has to be updated and current. If your agent’s most recent blog post is 4 years old then that’s a red flag. Or worse if the website is obviously a templated site with prewritten content, or very little content, then you know they haven’t put much effort in.
It’s OK to vet your agent and ask them tough questions. This is your home we’re talking about; not ours.
