If you’re considering buying or selling a home in Spokane, Washington, you’ll need a realtor you can trust. The best real estate agents possess certain qualities that enable them to connect with their clients personally, individuals who will make the entire buying or selling process as straightforward and enjoyable as possible. We think that these qualities can be summed up with the following four key traits.
1. Attentiveness
Your realtor must be attentive. Attentiveness doesn’t just mean giving you full attention at the moment, but actively listening to you to truly understand your needs and desires as a buyer or a seller, and to employ that understanding when going to work for you.
As a buyer, you usually have a specific wish list, and you want certain features in your new home. If your realtor isn’t listening when you express those wishes, he’ll waste your time showing you homes that do not meet your criteria. Even if you are not sure what you want at first, a good realtor will take note of your reactions to the houses you are shown, so that he can get a sense of your priorities, and anticipate how you will respond to new homes as they come on the market.
2. Flexibility
Realtors typically understand that they need more flexible schedules than the average worker, and that flexibility needs to expand even more when necessary to accommodate you. While there may need to be some compromise during your working relationship, your realtor needs to put your needs before her own and arrange showings at times that work best for you, whether you are a buyer or seller.
3. Personableness
Another important quality of a real estate agent is being personable. You’ll be spending a lot of time with your real estate agent. Accordingly, you want to work with someone who is congenial and agreeable, someone with whom you can feel comfortable expressing your opinions freely and honestly.
A good real estate agent is friendly, not off-putting, and will go to great lengths to make sure that you and your family feel comfortable throughout the process. He won’t force homes on you that you don’t love, or try to dissuade you from a home you like for personal gain. You should not feel pressured to mouth compliments or criticisms to conform to his point of view. Your agent should always keep in mind that, while it is helpful to point out positives and negatives to keep clients informed, his own tastes and preferences should not influence your decisions.
4. Tenacity
A good real estate agent is also tenacious. Amid a seller’s market, the stakes are high, and the competition is endless. You need a tenacious realtor who will help you make the right offer and leap ahead of the competition to get you your dream home. And if you are selling, your agent will know how to best benefit from a seller’s market, giving you tips on staging or recommending improvements that can help you to obtain top dollar.
Good realtors will keep fighting on your behalf, even when the home buying or selling process gets complicated. She won’t just give up, or persuade you to look at another option simply because the process requires her to put in more effort.
At the Legacy Group, our team is dedicated to being the premiere real estate group in Spokane. We do that by going above and beyond for clients. For buyers, we keep them informed about homes on the market and prepare strong bids when they find the house they want. For sellers, by helping them prepare their homes for listing so that they can get the best price in record time from qualified buyers. If you are interested in buying, selling, or investing in the Spokane area, contact the Legacy Group today to set up an appointment with one of our real estate professionals.