There are currently 1.6 million Realtors active in the U.S., and over three million people hold an official real estate license of some kind. It’s clear that the real estate industry is one of the fastest growing in the country, and more and more people are choosing to become professionals in the field every year.
All the same, not every real estate agent goes through rigorous training, nor do they all obtain the same level of experience before it comes time for you to engage their help. Even though some agents prefer a more conservative approach while others operate more proactively, there are certain ways to tell if your Realtor of choice isn’t going to help you achieve your goals. Below, we’ll cover the top five signs that you might need to search for a new Winter Park real estate agent to support you through your selling journey.
Your Realtor isn’t communicative
Communication is at the heart of the Realtor’s profession. An agent is responsible not only for staying in contact with you and your family throughout the deal. They also have to be present at the negotiation table while managing offers and meetings with other parties. If you’re not confident in the speaking and listening skills of your real estate agent, it could be a sign that your professional relationship may fail.
Still, you can do your part to ensure that communication channels are open. Talk with your agent about the best ways to reach them. Ask if there are any times of day when they’re busy with other clients. As long as you and your agent both understand how important it is to stay in constant contact, you’re sure to have more success.
Clashing personalities
Just as every Realtor goes through their own unique training and experiences along the way to becoming an expert in their field, not every agent has the same personality. It’s important to determine for yourself early on whether or not you’re going to work well with your agent. That decision will largely hinge on whether or not you like their personality. Try to imagine what it will be like to cooperate with this person for several weeks or months.
Are you willing to work with a highly confident person who tends to make decisions quickly in order to capitalize on a good offer? Or would you prefer an agent who is a little more cautious and who likes to bide their time until they can get a more well-rounded picture of the market? Above all, you want to avoid Realtors who rely on exaggerations (saying things like “nothing is selling for a good price in this neighborhood”) or make rash decisions without speaking with you beforehand.
The home sale is taking forever
One of the best ways to tell that your Realtor may not be as motivated as you to achieve a sale is that they appear to be dragging their heels. Maybe your agent is too busy with other clients to devote the required amount of attention to your property. Perhaps real estate isn’t their full-time job, and they’re distracted by other life events.
In any event, you’re going to want to look for another agent if your home sale is taking an exorbitant amount of time to complete. You don’t want to go through unnecessary stress waiting for the offers to roll in or to stay on the sidelines as more and more potential buyers lose interest. You and your home deserve better, and a more experienced and motivated Realtor may just be what you need.
They don’t take the lead on negotiations
You hire a Realtor to be a support system you can turn to whenever you have questions that need immediate answers. But you also demand that your agent be a leader and a representative for you, your values, and your market goals. If your Realtor keeps coming back from the negotiation table with your buyers with underwhelming results over and over, it may be a sign that you need to look elsewhere. Who else can you depend on to navigate all the complicated processes in your real estate journey before you finally close on a sale? You need to feel confident that your agent is a go-getter and someone who will stand up for you in your place.
Their market insights are mediocre
In today’s digital world, it’s easier than ever for amateurs to learn a lot about the real estate market in their area all by themselves. At the click of a mouse, you can discover where property values have gone over the last decade, how long homes are staying on the market, and which neighborhoods are fetching the highest offers from buyers.
That’s why it’s more important than ever that your Realtor has access to market insights that go beyond those you’ll find online. If your agent is simply parroting back data points to you that you’ve already researched, it may be a sign that their expertise in the local market isn’t as deep as you first thought.
Ask your agent about what special information they might be able to bring to the table. Perhaps there’s news that new apartment buildings are planned for construction soon. Or maybe zoning restriction changes are up for a vote. There may be a selling point in your home that escaped the notice of other Realtor –– one which could bring in much higher offers. Your Realtor should have these kinds of deep insights if you’re going to have a successful sale.
Reach out to a local real estate agent today
While nobody’s perfect, it’s important to align yourself with someone who you feel supports you, is easy to communicate with, and, most importantly, is getting the job done. We hope these tips will help you recognize whether or not you might need to search out a different real estate team.
If you have any questions or comments to share, or you’d like to learn more about Winter Park homes for sale, get in touch today! Contact Carol Underwood and Amanda Morrison with the Grand Mountain Group Real Estate Team for more information. The Grand Mountain Group Real Estate Team are local experts in the Winter Park area and look forward to assisting you!
