Selling your home can be a nervous and emotional time in your life. Trusting an agent to list and manage your property on your behalf can be equally nerve-wracking!

So, how can you ensure you’re leaving your property in the hands of a real estate agent you can trust?

Who should you hand the keys to your property over to?

Here are three questions that may help you along with making that decision:

1. How often and via what method does the agent communicate with their clients?

Ideally, you want an agent who will stay in touch with you throughout the process of selling your home. If your agent is hard to get hold of, this should set alarm bells ringing – perhaps they have too many clients on the go and aren’t giving your property the attention it deserves. This may have severe repercussions when it comes to selling your home or getting the best value for it. Constant and clear communication is important for peace of mind.

2. Which marketing strategy does the agent suggest for your property?

In days gone by, your estate agent would have advertised your property in the window of their premises, alongside other houses in your area, to attract passing foot traffic. Or they may have suggested newspaper advertisements. While this is still a tactic used by many real estate agents, for full exposure you should be looking for an agent with multi-channel marketing strategy experience, encompassing online – such as social media and paid advertising – and offline marketing.

3. Does the agent have any market sales or appraisal data for your area that they can show you?

When selling your home, you’ll surely have a ballpark figure you want to receive for it, right? If not, it may be sensible to ask your agent for any data they have on what similar properties have been sold for in the local area. Once you have this knowledge, you can get a better idea of what your home is truly worth and whether your agent is getting you the best price possible. It’s best to pick an agent who specialises in selling homes in your area, as they often have existing connections with the community and can maximise the sale price.

Appointing the right agent to sell or lease your property is hard, but don’t leave it to chance and come up second best! Ask these simple questions before you make a decision and take the stress out of the process.

Going to be purchasing a new property after you sell your current one? Give the team here at Smartline Rockingham a call or contact us today. We’ll bend over backwards to help you get a deal that is best suited to your circumstances.