Does it matter how your real estate agent communicates? Certainly it matters to you how your real estate agent communicates with you, but this article goes beyond the obvious. The question here is, “does it matter how your real estate agent communicates with everyone else?” You could also ask, “Does my real estate agent need manners?,” but let me explain why the answers to these questions are so darn important for buyers and sellers.
Here’s a short version of the job of a real estate agent, and it includes four key elements. By the way, don’t settle for a good real estate agent. That’s another way of saying “mediocre real estate agent.” Settle for nothing less than a great real estate agent. There are four major attributes of a great real estate agent.
1. The Real Estate Agent and Honesty
Honesty should be a prerequisite in any real estate agent, but believe it or not it isn’t top-of-mind for some buyers and sellers. I actually had one person tell me years ago that honesty didn’t matter as long as her agent did a good job for her. Here’s the problem with lack of honesty. If a real estate agent isn’t 100% honest and doesn’t walk with integrity 24/7, word does get around, and that definitely can hurt you in a transaction in a lot of ways. Even so, one could ask this rhetorical question, “If your real estate agent isn’t honest with everyone, what makes you think your own agent won’t sell you out, too?”
2. The Real Estate Agent and Real Estate Knowledge
This may be the most obvious of all questions, “Is real estate knowledge important for a real estate agent?” Obviously the answer is a resounding yes, but the majority of buyers and sellers do not do serious due diligence on the subject of real estate knowledge. Don’t just take an agent’s word for it. Do your due diligence online and compare the experience of real estate agents.
3. The Real Estate Agent and Experience
Experience comes from the School of Hard Knocks, but experience in hundreds of real estate transactions (and many complex scenarios) is vital if you are going to be well represented, i.e. if you are going to get the best possible price and the best terms. But experience also means keeping you out of trouble and coordinating transaction details to keep your transaction going smoothly. By the way, experience is not simply measured by years in the business. Unless a person is constantly in pursuit of excellence, there will not be improvement no matter how many years in real estate.
4. The Real Estate Agent and Communications Skills
The is the ultimate secret weapon of your real estate agent. How well your agent articulates a complicated situation to an agent on the other end of a transaction, how well your agent communicates diplomatically and professionally to other agents and to other people in your real estate transaction (escrow officer, loan officer, inspectors, appraisers, owners, county tax assessors, planning department officials, neighbors, etc.), and how kind your real estate agent is to everyone all the time can make a huge difference for you. If your agent is nice to you but a jerk when talking to other agents, that can hurt you seriously. I personally find it disturbing when I have a conversation with a Realtor who is arrogant and rude. What I do appreciate, and you should too, is a real estate agent who is honest, knowledgeable and competent, professional and experienced, hard working, loyal, confident, has excellent communication skills, and is at the same time humble.
Searching for a great real estate agent and filtering the list of potential agents down to the one who has all four of these qualities is a big job. But that’s your job. You can do that search on the Internet. Learn how to do this with these articles: How to Find a Real Estate Agent, How to Research Your Real Estate Agent, How to Find a Good Great Real Estate Agent, What Defines a Great Real Estate Agent? Whoever you hire, don’t just hire a mediocre or good real estate agent–hire a great real estate agent.
Last Updated on September 6, 2019 by Chuck Marunde
