Choosing a Realtor® is tough when there are 935 real estate agents registered with the Association of Saskatchewan Realtors®. Here are some things to look for when choosing a Saskatoon Realtor®.
Reviews
There are multiple platforms for agents to receive reviews from their clients; Google and Facebook are the most popular. There are multiple sites that agents can pay for like rate-my-agent or rank-my-agent. There are also sites that contact real estate agents and solicit their marketing to put you on the cover or a magazine or in their blog, which is paid advertising. Obviously paid advertising does not reflect the integrity or work ethic of an agent (two important characteristic of a good agent). When sifting through reviews, make sure you can tell the reviews are coming from real humans, and make sure they have multiple reviews.
Online Presence
If you’re selling your home, you’ll want your listing to get the most exposure possible. It’s important to check the agents online presence on all platforms. Is their website showing up at the top of Google? How many followers do they have? Do they pay for advertising on their listings on these platforms? Where will your listing appear? The more the agent appears online where buyers are searching, the better exposure your home will get.
Knowledge of the area
If an agent has just moved to the area or weren’t born and raised there; chances are they aren’t familiar with the city, amenities, or neighbourhoods. It’s imperative that you choose someone who can educate you on the building, area, potential issues if you’re buying; and someone who can market the benefits of the area you’re selling your home in. How many transactions have they completed in your area? Do they know about area trends, future development, zoning by-laws, local activities, family services, personal interests, etc.? Are they a full time agent or only work part time? It takes consistent years and daily commitment to understanding and following market trends and activity, which is going to be beneficial to you wether you’re buying or selling.
Services Offered
What services does the agent offer to their buyers and sellers? Do they have resources to offer you? How are their services implemented? Any agent can post a listing on the MLS® and watch it syndicate with the public sites, but what else are they doing for your listing? Buyers, does your agent have other resources to find you off-market properties? How hard are they working for you? Ask about processes and services. Are they passionate about what they do? What is their background experience? How are they going to support you?
Chemistry
At the end of the day, you want to work with someone who you feel you connect to. Wether its a gut feeling, or how they left you feeling after their first visit, you will be spending time with this person and it should be enjoyable.
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