Choosing a real estate agent can feel like an overwhelming experience for prospective home buyers entering the high-end real estate market. Choosing a professional to assist you through every step of the home buying journey can be overwhelming even for those familiar with the process. You’re making a big investment; you must be confident in the ability of your agent to find the right property for you and assist with every aspect of the transaction.
There are a few traits that define great real estate agents. The first is experience in home buying and your local real estate market. The second is having the patience to stick through the process of searching for the right home and having determination to fight to get you the home you want. Lastly, great real estate agents have the creativity to think outside the box and find homes that may not look like a great fit on paper, but will work for your wants and needs.
Experience In Home Buying and the Local Market
When you are conducting your search in a specific housing market, it’s important that your real estate agent has experience in the area. Generally speaking, real estate agents with a lot of experience are most likely also good real estate agents. As a commission-based business, most professionals leave the real estate industry because they do not make enough sales. While years of experience do not necessarily guarantee a successful real estate agent, it’s an encouraging sign.
Another reason to look for a high-end real estate agent with experience is that he or she is less likely to make mistakes. Realtors do much of their professional training on the job. An agent with years of experience has had the chance to learn from mistakes made; you cannot afford to be the test subject when you are making such a substantial investment. The more experience an agent has accrued, the more likely they are to have a strong knowledge base to bring to the homebuying search.
While professional experience is a very important factor in selecting a high-end real estate agent, so is local experience. There are resources online that provide information about specific regions, cities, even communities, but they are not as reliable as a professional that has spent years in the area buying and selling homes.
Patience to Stick with the Search and Buying Process
Patience may not seem like the most obvious quality in a high-end real estate agent, but it’s very important. The process of finding and purchasing the right home can be a long journey with many ups and downs. To make the right decision you need to do your due diligence, which can take time. When vetting a potential realtor inquire how they handled drawn-out searches in the past.
Because purchasing luxury real estate is such a large financial investment, you need to be sure you are working with an agent that demonstrates patience during the process. If your realtor is putting pressure on you to make a rapid decision when you are not ready, it will lead to unsatisfactory results. When choosing between high-end real estate agents, be sure to ask each what their plan would be for a longer-than-expected search and buying process.
Related to the realtor’s patience is their determination to succeed for you. Your real estate agent should be willing to put in the time and fight hard, even after a long, drawn-out search process, to get you the property you want.
Creativity and Willingness to Think Outside the Box
The third quality to look for in a high-end real estate agent is an ability to think outside the box. Oftentimes markets with a high degree of competition from fellow buyers make it difficult to find a home that meets all your needs. When vetting a realtor, ask how he or she would approach finding properties that may not seem like a good fit on paper but can adequately meet your needs.
If there is a lack of suitable homes in your preferred market, you need a realtor with the experience to know if similar markets can meet your needs. On the other hand, the real estate agent should also understand which homes available in your market can still work for you despite not meeting every requirement.
For this creative approach to be effective, your agent needs to have experience in the local market and have demonstrable patience. An experienced agent has the professional relationships as well as the knowledge of the properties that can help locate off market opportunities.
Joyce Rey is the exclusive agent representing the Beverly Hills real estate market as a member of the Haute Residence Real Estate Network. View her profile or contact her here.
Images courtesy of Joyce Rey
