Whether you are buying or selling, a house or a condo in Winnipeg, chances are you’ll be using a Winnipeg real estate agent to help you in your quest. With over 1,500 local REALTORS® competing for your business in Winnipeg alone, you should expect a certain level of service. Here are some of the main qualities to look for in a real estate pro, whether you are buying or selling, a house or a condo.
What to expect when buying a home
When buying a home, consumers should be working with their own Buyers Agent. There are anumber of reasons why this is highly recommended. Here are a few things you should expect from your buyers agent:
Professionalism
When you make an appointment, he/she should be on time, every time. If they are running late, you should expect a courtesy phone call at the very least. In addition to punctuality, being well groomed and properly dressed is an important part of professionalism.
Personal Service
Before hiring a Winnipeg real estate agent, ask them “Who will be looking after me?” Will they shuffle you off to an assistant? If you have questions or concerns, WHO will answer them? Please be sure to have these facts before you sign any buyer agency agreement.
Quality Business Connections
When buying a home, you’ll need a list of people who will help you in the process: alawyer, home insurance company, home inspector, and possibly renovators, painters, movers. Does your prospective W innipeg real estate agent have trusted service providers he/she can recommend?
Availability
Can you reach your agent directly, at all reasonable times? Will they respond quickly, or take a day to get back to you? How can you reach him/her? Thru an office call service or direct call to their cell phone?
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Track Record & Reputation
Before hiring an agent, check at least two places: Google their name and add the words ‘google reviews’, so for example “Bo Kauffmann Google Reviews” . And secondly, also check to see if they have any BBB ratings or reviews. While great reviews don’t guarantee future performance, they are an excellent place to start.
What you should demand from your Listing Agent when selling your home:
All of the above, plus more:
Professional Photographs of your home
I’ll admit, this one is a personal pet peeve of mine. Seeing $500,000 listings with photographs that look like they were taken by a cell phone drive me crazy. Sellers deserve to see their home, online, in the best possible light. Make sure your Winnipeg real estate agent hires a professional photographer to shoot the pics and video for your home. When hiring a listing agent, here are 10 questions you should ask them.
Access to Technology
Although over 90% of home buyers start their search on the internet, there are still agents who do not have their own website. When selling, does your Listing Agent use the latest tools to market your home? Are they active on social media and using those platforms to market their listings?
Although no one controls the real estate market, you, at least, have the option to hire the best Winnipeg real estate agent possible for the job.
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I have learnt a lot from you guys. I think you do work hard to meet your clients demands; which is recommendable.
This is such a timely article for me. My hubby and I are going to a house soon. We are deciding right now for the right agent to help us out and the tips you gave are helpful.
All great advice. For me, reputation is very important. I’ve known people who have scrimped on agents and they’re usually not satisfied with said agents.
Fantastic advice. Even the little things like taking a proper picture of your homes will generate more interest to your company. Showing that you care and networking in person and through social media are great recipes for success. Thanks for the very detailed article!
An interesting post in conveying information about how to choose the right real estate agent for home sales and purchases. There is no doubt that everything presented here can be conveyed well based on extraordinary experience in the field.
Thanks David…a big part is to check google reviews on agents as well…. they can tell a lot.
Woah! Never knew that real estate services is this demanding. I definitely learned a lot from this. Looks like I’ll be taking notes from this article for future information. Thank you!
With a lot of real estate agents out there, it’s always best – and wise – to look up reviews about your prospective agent. Clearly, this person would be the one would assist you in every step towards your dream real property. It pays to have an efficient agent who knows the ins-and-outs of the real estate market, and much more.
Yes, thats great advice. The BBB has tons of reviews about real estate agents.
Absolutely, google reviews are great, as a Better Business Bureau reviews.
This is a very good read. Circumstances maybe different depending on where we are but overall it gives us an idea if we encounter these situations.
Great article. It is a useful information for home buyers. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading, Susie….
nice info when we buy or sell houses it is very nice to have these services and in fact it is a
must but how far we can rely to get this professionally from every agents is a question
Times like these, you need expert advice from other people. Yes, you know what you want and you have the money, but there are a lot of other things aside from just buying any house you find on the internet just because it’s cheap. Simple, practical tips about real estate anyone should take time to read before taking that house buying plunge. This article has it in spades!
Great and very important info for the home buying process. Buying a home is such a major decision that you can’t just have and joker on your team; you need a professional – else things can snowball into a mountain of ongoing problems.
Exactly, Ron. Thank you very much!
I’d love to have some feedback and your ideas on this….