7 ways to build a successful relationship with your real estate agent
Choosing the right property manager for your investment property is not an easy task, the key to buildng a long lasting relationship with your real estate property manager is paramount to success.
1. Never break trust
It’s easy to fixate on agents’ trustworthiness and forget trust runs both ways. Trust must exist at the start of every agent/client relationship and remain rock solid throughout.
2. Show some respect
Mutual respect goes a long way to creating “win/win” relationships. Clients usually do best when buying and selling if they view their agent as “a trusted advisor”. They keep us on side with an attitude of mutual respect, referring us business and running with our advice on selling strategy. It stands to reason that we would favour our loyal advocates.
3. Pick up the phone
We encourage our clients to call, particularly when the campaign hits tough times. We live in an age of emailing and that is usually fine for simple matters but the emails can easily be taken the wrong way as you can’t hear the tone in which it’s projected. Face-to-face or a call are far more effective in a lot circumstances.
4. Don’t be a scrooge
If you insist on agents discounting their commissions, don’t be surprised if your agent loses interest and/or feels unloved. Less commission can result in rushing sales and more pressure on sellers to take unacceptable offers, instead of working on a seller’s behalf. Until the property is sold, your agent is working for you for free. So if the agent is professional and does a good job marketing and selling your property, he/she deserves to be paid and not have to discount commission.
5. Be punctual
It is a common courtesy to be on time at all appointments with your busy agent and if you can’t be there, never pull a no-show.
6. Don’t cover your ears
Relationships can be tested and that’s when really good listening skills can save the day. Listen to what the agent is saying. When an agent tells you, ‘we are getting feedback that the price is too high’ don’t automatically shut down or get defensive because that is very counter to what your agent, hopefully chosen based on trust, is trying to achieve – hear them out.
7. Be honest
If you are looking to buy, give sales agents “all your parameters” so he/she can assist without wasting time. There is a tendency for buyers not to tell the truth about how much they want to spend or the area they wish to buy in. The agent then takes time to find a property in the price range only to find out the buyer has bought elsewhere in a higher price bracket and a different area.
