Indian Newslink Sept 15 2017 Digital Edition

16
Businesslink
SEPTEMBER 15, 2017
House hunting should
begin with a good realtor
Winston Saga
It is not uncommon that
people are keen on selling
their homes privately, but the
time and effort needed to get
the price would be beyond their
control.
It is therefore in their interest to
choose the right agent.
Professional agents will have
a pool of ready buyers on their
database. They would choose the
best for you.
Care and Caution essential
You must be careful in
choosing the right agent. You
need to interview a few before
you make the final decision. As
a home owner, you should have
time to speak with the agents in
person and be convinced of their
experience, expertise and track
record.
You should find out where they
had worked before joining the
real estate industry and whether
they have marketing, selling and
negotiation skills.
You should also determine if
the agency that the real estate
agent represents has a large
presence in the market. It is
always good to find an agent from
a reputable and bigger agency
because when you list your
property, it would be forwarded
to all its offices. Thus, perhaps
about 200 agents working in that
agency will come to know of
your property.
Know your agent
There are online resources to
check the profiles and credentials
of agents. Some of them have
their own websites, with
information on the number of
properties they have sold, with
relevant details.
When you shortlist agents, ask
questions on their plan to sell,
their marketing campaign and
other strategies. Some of them
could be buyers’ agents, in which
case, they will try to reduce the
price of your property. Please ask
for the prices of properties sold
recently.
Many times, home owners
want to give a general listing
to many agents from different
agencies. I prefer exclusive listing
because the agent will do a much
better job.
Know your property
Ask the agent whether the
house should be ‘staged.’ What
are the highlights about the
property? What are its positive
and negative factors? What is the
likely market trend?
There are more than 10,000
agents in New Zealand. Not
everyone is the right person to sell
your home. You want someone
with great experience – a person
who is trust- worthy and give lots
of time to sell the property.
A local agent will be far better
than someone who is experienced
but living away from your local
area. Local agents have more
knowledge of the area with more
buyers on their database. As a
home owner, you should be able
to work with an agent who is
friendly and easy.
Visiting Open Homes
Please visit Open Homes in
your area and see how agents are
demonstrating or communicating
with clients. Are they friendly and
know about the property well?
Have they provided comprehensive
information? Are the flyers
informative and attractive?
Real estate agents should
always have a close relationship
with the home owner. Once the
property is listed they should
keep in touch with the vendor
at least three times a week. Top
agents call every day and share
market developments.
Winston Saga is a Licenced Real
Estate Agent with Harcourts
based in Sunnynook, Auckland.
Website: http://harcourts.co.nz/
SN3376
www.winstonsaga.com