Before Choosing A Kenosha Realtor Here Are 5 Things You Should Ask
Buying or selling a home can be a life-changing decision. It is important to make sure that you are working with the right realtor, giving the best advice, to provide the best outcome.
There are plenty of realtors in Kenosha to choose from, to help you find the right agent ask them these questions first.
What Is Your Experience?
Nothing is more important than knowing that the person you hire to help you buy or sell a home can actually get the job done. A long career is typically a great indicator of success and a measure of trust within a community.
Find out what kind of properties that the realtor typically deals in, if they’re specialized, or if they’re experienced enough to be flexible. Also, when selling, ask to see the list-price-to-selling-price ratio. Obviously you want to get as much value you can from your home and it’s important to find an agent competent enough to get as much value as possible.
Don’t be afraid to ask for references. A great realtor also is great at fostering relationships and should have plenty of references to give if they need them, especially in an area as connected as Kenosha. People talk, make sure you listen. Along with references, finding out what real estate accreditations the realtor has achieved can help make your decision easy. Finding out that your realtor holds accreditations in specialized topics such as ABR(Accredited Buyer Representative), CRS(Certified Residential Specialist) or GRI(Graduate of the Realtor’s Institute) shows a commitment to their craft and can be beneficial in better outcomes.
Finally, if you’re buying a home find out how much they know about the area you are looking to locate to. A good realtor will not only help you get a good deal, they should have advice on how to best acclimate yourself to the area and also have your best interests in mind.
How Will We Communicate?
Working with a realtor is a relationship and like any relationship it is important that there is a simple, open and understood mode of communication.
It is important to set expectations and to have an understanding of how often you will communicate, what channels you’ll use to communicate, and if there are specific times to communicate. Also set expectations as to the kind of information realtor will share with you and how often.
If you are looking for a personal approach, you probably want more face-to-face contact, or regular phone calls. If you’re ok with your realtor doing the work and just keeping you in the loop, something like a weekly email might be good enough to satisfy you.
How Much Are Your Fees?
Sure you want a relationship, but this is still built on a fee-based service. 6% of a sale is typically thrown around as the average amount of your home sale that will be going to realtor and listing fees. Find out how willing the realtor is to bend on that amount and what exactly you are being charged for. When buying a home, finding out what the fees are can be an important part of creating a budget.
Just like buying or selling a home itself, understanding where your fees are going is an important decision that you want to be comfortable with.
How Will You Market My Home?
When selling a home it is important to know that your realtor is adept at techniques that work, as well as aware and versed on up-to-date trends.
Obviously an experienced seller will have learned and perfected a number of techniques over their career to successfully sell homes, but the technological shift of the last decade has changed the playing field a little bit.
For instance, a realtor.org study found that 90% of home buyers searched online in their home buying process in 2013. Not everyone is going to find a home online, but if that’s where people are looking it’s good to know you can be found.
An innovative but smart approach to selling can really help a realtor separate themselves from the pack and help you reach the best outcomes in selling your home.
How Many Clients Are You Currently Representing?
This is an interesting question that can pose interesting problems and give you some good information on your realtor.
If a realtor has a large number of clients it may provide a good idea of their success, strong word of mouth support, but may leave you as an afterthought or with less time than you might want. If a realtor has very few clients it could mean that they are not as successful, or successful enough that they can choose who with, and how much they
want to work.
It the number is large, is it because the realtor is part of a team? How well do they work together and how involved are you going to be with the realtor that you originally signed with?
You have to decide for yourself how much time you expect to work with your realtor and what kind of attention you want to be paid to you, specifically. Asking this question can help you decide if the realtor you’re talking with is right for you.
The Benefit Of Working With A Premiere Real Estate Agent
I have over 25 years experience buying and selling homes in Kenosha and over southeast Wisconsin. I’ve proven to be a premiere real estate agent, building solid and lasting relationships with my clients, maintaining trust through expert advice and taking pride in satisfying client needs. Being part of a great community makes being a great realtor easy.
If you are looking for success in your home buying or selling endeavor, connect with me today.
