There is one overriding quality you must demand when you hire
the Metairie agent who will be your partner and representative. It’s a quality
you and you alone are qualified to judge. And it should be the final
determinant—the last factor you consider before you make your final agent choice.
Now it’s true that in many instances, this quality isn’t
even one you have to think about. That’s true when you have previously worked
with a Metairie agent who did what she or he had promised. When you’ve bought a
home or sold one, been helped through successful negotiations, dealt with the
unexpected snags with a minimum of disruption—and finally wrapped up the closing
paperwork on schedule—you probably need search no further. It couldn’t be
easier: pick up the phone, and voila!
Your agent is on the job!
But if you’re new to Metairie; or previously had only a
so-so experience with a Metairie agent; or if your Metairie agent is no longer
available for some other reason, Job One before any selling or buying begins in
earnest is the only part of the process that you will have to undertake
completely on your own: identifying the agent who will serve you best.
When you choose a lawyer or accountant to represent you, a
number of factors come into play that isn’t involved in choosing a real estate
agent. With other professionals, their fee structures can be crucial. Although
hiring the best lawyer in town can be out of reach for strictly financial
reasons, that’s not true in real estate. If you’re buying, your agent’s fee
come out of the seller’s proceeds—in other words, all town real estate agents,
from best to worst, cost you nothing! If you’re selling, most agents work on
substantially similar percentages. Another factor that plays a greater role in
choosing candidates in other professions is convenience—where their offices are
located. With real estate, everyone who actively works in the Metairie area will
make your location (or the addresses
of your prospective next home) the focus of activity. The agent’s own location
isn’t a determining factor.
So what is that
final determinant? After you have interviewed the agents who seem initially
qualified—what should be the decisive factor?
It’s trust.
In the momentous enterprise that lays before you, the
overriding factor has to be the degree of trust you feel in the individual who
will be your teammate. It’s why you are the only one qualified to make the
choice.
The process of buying or selling a home involves laying out
your highest hopes and deepest reservations about home ownership—and trusting
that between the two of you, the best opportunities will be uncovered, the best
bargains struck, and all will be protected by properly executed documentation. Trust
is the feeling you have for how the two of you interact—how the chemistry is
there or is not. It’s how comfortable you feel when you are communicating,
because you should trust your agent’s insight into your needs and goals, so
that you can depend on the guidance he or she provides.
I hope when your next real estate venture is close at hand,
you’ll make me one of your interviews. And if we’ve worked together
before—welcome back!
No comments:
Post a Comment