Great article by Carly Jacobs! We here at Truckee River Homes strive to be the best realtors we can be and we are happy to know that we value every single quality Carly outlines.
8 expert qualities that make a good real estate agent
Good real estate agents can be difficult to find if you don’t know the qualities to look for.
We had a chat to some industry experts to find out what you should be looking for when scouting around for the perfect agent.
Qualities of a good agent
1. They communicate
As a house seller or buyer it can be stressful dealing with an agent who’s not a great communicator. The real estate market is time sensitive, so you need an agent who will let you know quickly where you stand with your current buying or selling situation so you can move on quickly to another property or potential buyer.
Jean Gordon from Estate Agent Stars says that one of the biggest frustrations for people is a lack of communication from their agent.
“It’s so important that agents stay in constant contact with their clients and customers. What seems like insignificant information to an agent who’s been in the business for years can be really important to clients who are new to the real estate game,” says Gordon.
2. They’re proactive
Ben Hatch from Harcourts Real Estate in WA says a good agent should be proactively calling potential buyers, communicating with existing customers and constantly chasing new leads. The key element of being proactive is keeping the client well informed.
“If your clients keep calling you, you’re not giving them enough information,” says Hatch.
The key element of being proactive is keeping the client well informed.
3. They listen
Most good agents will tell you to be wary of an agent who talks too much.
Hatch says that if you can’t get a word in when communicating with your agent, then you’ve got a problem.
“As a client or customer, you’re the one who should be doing most of the talking and making sure that your agent understands your special requests and needs. A good agent should be asking all the questions not the other way around,” says Hatch.
4. They’re client motivated
Put simply, if the customer gets a good a deal, the agent gets a good deal, which is why it ‘s so important to choose an agent who puts their vendors first.
Lucy White from David Murphy Real Estate in Mosman says a good agent will always have their clients needs as their top priority.
“Buying and selling houses can be stressful and it’s important for the agent to make sure that the client is feeling supported and happy.”
5. They can adapt to their clients needs
It’s also important it is for an agent to be able to ‘read’ their client.
“Some clients like to communicate via email, some prefer a quick text message and others like to receive a phone call so they can have a chat about what’s happening with their sale,” says White.
“It’s the responsibility of a good agent to suss out the clients preferred method of communication so they don’t feel either ignored by silence or pressured by too much communication.”
6. They know their clients time frame
Jean Gordon says that timing awareness is essential to a good client/agent relationship.
“You need to know if the client is in a hurry to sell. If they need to settle soon, the agent should know this and should be working to a tighter time frame. If the client isn’t in a rush the agent can shop around and advise the client to wait for a better market so they can get a decent price on their house,” says Gordon.
7. They know their customers selling motivation
Ben Hatch says a good agent always knows why their clients are selling and will ask themselves the following questions:
- Is your customer selling to buy?
- Is this an investment property?
- Are they going live in this home and then knock it down?
“These are all things that good agents need to think about. It also helps to know if there’s a sentimental attachment to a home. A client who’s selling one of five investment properties will have very different needs to a client who’s selling their family home. A good agent will know the difference and will adapt accordingly.”
A client who’s selling one of five investment properties will have different needs to a client who’s selling their family home.
8. They aren’t afraid to give you their last 20 clients as references
Jean Gordon says the best way to get a good agent is use their past clients as references.
“If you’ve lined up a new agent and you want to make sure that they’re the best fit for you, ask them for testimonials or statements from their last 20 clients. Not selected clients, literally the last 20. A good agent should be able to give you a positive reference from any of their past clients.”
Ask your agent for testimonials or statements from their last 20 clients.
The timing is absolutely crucial when it comes to buying and selling a home. I’m not sure where the market is now. I’m thinking of buying a home soon, hopefully the agent I hire will be able to tell me how it is. Getting my house ready to sell has been very difficult.
I liked your advice on how most good real estate agents will listen to you more than they will talk. I would imagine that someone who lets you talk more often than they do would be a good way to ensure they have your best interests in mind. My husband and I are looking for someone to represent us while selling our home so well have to be sure to find someone who listens to us.
This is such a great article on real estate agents, and I really like that you pointed out to look for someone that knows their clients time frame. My friend is trying to find a house for his family, and they wanted to move into it in a few months. It would be interesting for them to be able to move into it before the time frame is up.
I want to find a good real estate agent to make sure that I get a good home. It makes sense that I would want to avoid an agent that talks too much! I want to make sure that they understand what I want, after all!
Making sure the realtor can communicate effectively is going to be good for you! If he/she can’t efficiently communicate with you, then there are bound to be problems. It can end up causing confusion, and it will just make the whole process that much more difficult. I don’t think you will want to deal with any problems while moving or selling.
A cousin of mine is looking to sell his home and could really use the assistance of a real estate agent. You mentioned that a good agent won’t be afraid to list their last 20 clients as references. If their 20 last clients had successful deals made, it’s likely you will too. I’ll relay this information to my cousin, as I think it could really help him find the best agent.
My friend is in a rough family situation, and she is trying to find a new home to move into as soon is possible. She is so stressed with everything going on in her personal life, so I told her I would look for a reputable real estate agent. I like the tip you give of looking for someone that is proactively calling potential buyers, communicating with existing customers and constantly chasing new leads. This would help ensure that she can move as soon as possible.
I really like what was said about how real estate agents are excellent communicators. This makes a lot of sense to me because when you are selling your house and you have a question, then you need to be able to get a hold of your real estate agent right away. I have a friend who is looking for a real estate agent and I think I am going to show him this article.
I completely agree that a good real estate agent will communicate properly with you. It seems to me that many people underestimate the difference it makes to have a good real estate agent. However, real estate agents really are experts on home purchases. Do you have any other tips about finding a good real estate agent?
I believe that the most important thing to have in a real estate agent is one who listens to you. How else will they know what kind of houses to show you? It is one of the reasons that I like to meet face to face with my real estate agent before I formally decide to use them.
I completely agree that one thing to look for is how well the agent communicates to you. It really does makes a difference to have someone that talks to a lot. After all, the more they talk to you, the more likely you will get a good home. Do you have any other tips about finding a good real estate agent?
That’s a great tip you gave about how a good agent should be able to give you a positive reference from any of their past clients. I’ve actually heard, too, that some real estate agents will stay in touch with some past clients to make sure that all is well with their new homes and to sort out any minor complications that may arise. I’ll have to keep these great tips in mind so that I can choose the best agent to help us sell our home!
I like that you mentioned a good real estate agent will listen to your concerns and communicate with you well. My wife and I have been looking for a real estate agent to help us find our first home. We will definitely be looking for an agent who is a good listener.
Being a real estate agent isn’t as easy as it sounds, even though you may not need a formal degree but it demands one to have many skills in order to succeed in this industry. This article points out those attributes of a good real estate agent, A great read for all those who are aspiring to be great Realtors in future.
I’m looking for a way to get the right home for me and my family. It makes sense that I would want to find a good real estate professional! I’ll be sure to find someone who is client motivated. That means they will put me first!
My husband and I are excited to buy a new home. We want to find one that will be suitable to raise our 3 children in. As you said, I think it’s important to find someone that puts their clients first. We will be sure to find someone with this priority. Thanks for sharing!
It was wonderful to know that a good agent should be proactively calling potential buyers, communicating with existing customers and constantly chasing new leads. We have been looking for a new house since our old one is too small for our six children. We will be sure to take that tip into consideration to ensure that we get the right house for our family’s needs!
This is one of the most informative information I’ve read. It really helps a lot. Thanks for sharing this and teaching some of your Idea’s!
I like that you point out that it is important for the agent to be aware of the clients time frame. I can see why knowing this would help create a good relationship between the agent and the client. My wife and I have been thinking about buying a house in the next year or so. I’ll have to sit down with her and decide how quickly we want to buy a house so that we can coordinate this with the agent.
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This is quite an helpful post about good real estate agentIt’s impressive and also helped too. Thanks for sharing this post and we will try to keep touch with your site.
One thing that stood out to me most in your article is that your real estate agent should have your best intention at heart. When you feel like they are working with you, it can make all the difference. It’s nice to have someone there with you who is so knowledgeable, where you can give them your wants and needs and they can give you a handful of options to choose from. Finding the right agent for you can take time, as it did for me, but I’m glad I took time to do my research. If anyone is looking to purchase a home, I’d always recommend seeking assistance from a real estate agent.
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Thanks for the tips for choosing a good real estate agent. My wife and I are planning on buying a home this year, and we want to find an agent who can help us through the process. I like that you mentioned that a good realtor will listen to you and ask a lot of questions so they can really understand what you want. We will look for somebody like that.
Great information Carly. The public needs to know this so they can make educated decisions.
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing websites that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free.
I can see how it’s valuable for an agent to determine the type of home your selling. They should adapt their methods to if you have an investment property or if you’re selling to buy, like you said. A home transaction is complex and can change depending on the type of home, so it makes a lot of sense to find someone who can work for what you need.
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This is nice post which I was awaiting for such an article and I have gained some useful information from this site. Thanks for sharing this information.
It really does help to have an adaptable real estate agent on your side when you’re trying to buy a home. They can help you with anything from simple paperwork to actually helping you close the deal. Of course, you also want to make sure that the agent has a good feeling about their work and that they’re eager and excited to help you.
Great tips. A good agent can be the difference between making thousands of dollars or having a bad experience.
You made some good points there. I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree with your blog.
I like your advice to find an agent that is able to read their client and know what it is that they are really looking for. My brother is looking for luxury homes for sale so it would be helpful for him to find a real estate broker who will help he find what it is that he really wants in a home without necessarily having to ask him what he wants. I’ll have to let him know that he should look for an agent like that to help him have a positive home buying experience.
My sister really wants to become a realtor, but I’m not sure if she has what it takes. Thanks for all your key points to be a great realtor. I’ll be sure to point out how she needs to adapt to each client differently. Like how you explained in #5, where communication will be needed a different way, for example email, text or calling. Thanks for the tips and I’ll be sure to show this to her.
My husband and I want to buy our first house, but we don’t really know anything about buying houses. I like how you say that good real estate brokers pay attention to if the client’s time frame. How one will have a tight time frame if the client doesn’t have much time and will help the client wait for a better market if the client does have time. We’ll remember what you said so we that we will find a good broker.
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I like that you mentioned finding someone that will give statements from their past clients, not selected. I have been looking for agents, but I don’t know how to tell who would be good. I can see how past clients could help me make a decision. I’ll be sure to keep this in mind while searching.
My husband and I are ready for a change, and are wanting to move into a new home. But we don’t have a lot of experience in this area, so we need to find a realtor to help us out. It’s good to know that we want to find an agent that is client motivated. That way we will be getting a good deal for what we want.
My best friend is looking for a real estate agent to help them get into a great home. You wrote that you should make sure that the real estate agent understands your time frame and works to get you into a home within the time you allotted initially. This is very important for my friend, as they will need a place to live and if if they don’t have a home by a certain day they will be having to sleep at friends.
I like that you mentioned asking about past clients of a real estate agent. If they do a good job, they should have no problem giving you those names. Check on those to see how their experiences were. It is a great way to find quality agents in a short time.
Thanks for sharing up–to-date on this subject! I find it is very informative and very well written one! Keep up on this quality!
Those are some great tips you gave about choosing an agent with whom you feel comfortable, one who is responsive to the needs of your family, and one who compliments your personality. I’ve heard that many real estate agents will choose dates that they can guarantee that your home will be sold by, and if it’s not, you can pay them less. Seems like good motivation to push them to sell your home fast! I’ll have to keep this info in mind as I look into hiring an agent to help us sell our home.
Great article and superb tips! Indeed, if your real estate agent is hesitant to give you references, it should be a huge red flag to you.
I really like that you mentioned a good real estate agent being able to adapt to the needs of their client. I don’t think of myself or my wife as a difficult client, but I think that a real estate agent needs to be able to change things up a little bit depending on who they work with. I’m going to have to see if we can find a good real estate agent to help us get into our first home that can change and adapt to help us as best as possible!
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Thanks for the great tips for choosing a real estate agent. My sister wants to move soon and I thought I’d help her find the best way to choose a real estate agent. I love all your tips, but I love that you mentioned that the agent should feel comfortable enough to share their last 20 (not selected) testimonials or statements from clients. I know she’ll find that great advice too.
Thanks for posting this. Very nice recap of some of the key points in my talk. I hope you and your readers find it useful! Thanks again
Getting the best advice or finding the best real estate trainer is essential in your growth as a real estate investor. There are two types of people who do not improve or grow and these are because they are either unwilling to listen or they listen to the wrong people. Finding the best real estate trainer means you have to look out for these following trait:
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I agree with you, Good real estate agents can be difficult to find if you don’t know the qualities to look for. I would like to suggest You would not like to work with a real estate developer who is already broke or is under financial debt. Thanks for sharing..!!
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My husband and I are looking to move next summer and we know it takes time to find the perfect place so we are looking for an agent now and we need help. You talked about how a good agent knows and works with their clients time frame and be willing to do so. That is a great point on a trait agents should have that I never thought of before. Thank you for the great information.
My husband and I have been looking for a good realtor, but we don’t know what to really look for, to find the best one. I liked your tip about how they know our motivation about selling. A good realtor would be very interested in what we are doing and why. Thanks for the tip!
I like how you talked about real estate agents knowing the motivation of their customers and their time frame for selling. My aunt is looking to sell her house and buy another for her family’s move to Ohio. Maybe she should look into getting a real estate agent to help her in both states.
Thanks for letting me know that a great real estate agent will figure out the best form of communication for their clients. My brother is looking for a realtor to help him find a new apartment for him and his fiancee. Since he works a lot, I’m sure he’ll want to find a real estate agent that is willing to use his preferred method of communication – texting.
I like how you mention that it’s important to fin a realtor that puts their clients first before just seeing them as a way to get money. Another way to find a good realtor is to ask them how many houses like yours that they’re sold. That can be a very effective way to tell if a realtor is the right one for you. If they have experience if selling a certain type of house, then they have found a niche in finding the right potential buyers, which could help you sell your house faster.
I have read a few of the articles on your website now, and I really like your style of blogging. I added it to my favorite’s web page list and will be checking back soon. Please check out my site as well and let me know what you think
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Thanks for the tips! Especially I liked the one where you say that I should ask for 20 last clients as references and see if an agent can do it without any fears. I would like to buy a house and I am not an expert in this market, that is why hiring somebody professional seems to be the best solution. Great advice!
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You made a good point about an agent not being afraid to give you their last 20 clients or so as references. This means that they are confident that their previous clients would speak highly of them about the work they have done in the past. If I were to look for a real estate agent, I would definitely take this into account. Thanks.
Thanks for these tips. My sister is planning to move in an apartment. She’s now looking up some agents to help her find the perfect apartment.
My husband and I are thinking of getting a real estate agent to help us sell our home. It’s a good thing that you provided in this article qualities to look for in a good real estate agent. Thanks for this!
I thought that it was very important when you suggested to choose a real estate agent who will adapt to the client’s needs. My wife and I want to buy a new condo this fall, so we could move closer to my work. We want to move, so I could reduce my commute time to work. When we look for a realtor, I will make sure that they will suit our needs.