by: Alison Domnas

The title of this blog post should be your first tip that there is no one right person to hire as your  real estate agent. It is a bit like choosing a house, in that there are plenty of great ones out  there, but it’s helpful to know which qualities to look for before signing on the dotted line.  

A good real estate agent does more than just open doors and generate paperwork — we wear  many hats in this role! I like to tell people that the best way to think about it is that a real estate  agent is like your house sherpa. A good one can make the difference between just barely  making it to the top (read: closing on a house) but then running out of oxygen before you start  making your way back down, which would be very, very bad. You need to work with someone  that can manage all the details of the journey towards homeownership or selling a home  without letting anything slip through the cracks.  

First and foremost, and I cannot emphasize this enough — the real estate agent you choose  should be someone you trust, and who demonstrates solid communication skills. It might  sound silly, but a common complaint of consumers when it comes to real estate agents is not  timely returning phone calls, texts, or emails! A great real estate agent demonstrates hustle. If  your agent possesses this quality, you are far more likely to be successful, whether buying or  selling. 

Along the same lines, the emotional intelligence of your real estate agent goes a long way. I’ve  often had clients tell me something along the lines of “you’re a lot like a therapist!” As anyone  who has bought or sold a house can tell you, your anxieties are sure to be triggered at some  point throughout the process. And that’s okay, and to be expected! A quality agent should be  able to have tough, honest conversations, receive feedback with an open mind, and manage  their clients’ expectations. 

A related quality is how your real estate agent demonstrates their relationship skills. The  relationship dynamics involved in a real estate transaction are many: the relationship of the  parties to the transaction (buyer or seller); the relationship with other agents involved; the  closing attorney, lender, etc. A real estate agent who has a good reputation and proven track  record with colleagues is likely to get a lot further working in the market than one with a slash and-burn mentality who treats other parties as enemies. There’s a good expression for that:  You get more flies with honey than with vinegar.  

On a more data-driven note, an agent should have a demonstrable track record of sales,  preferably one that shows experience on both the buying and selling side. Why does this  matter? A real estate agent working for a seller gathers valuable information about market  demand when managing the sale of a property, including the number of showings at a  particular price point or for a specific area, feedback on pricing, and the nuts-and-bolts  numbers of any subsequent offers. All of this can be invaluable intel for providing the best  advice to a buyer who may be navigating that segment of the market. The converse is also true  — a real estate agent who works with buyers can provide invaluable information to a seller as  to what buyers are looking for, and where demand seems to be the greatest, along with other  helpful tidbits!  

The last, and perhaps most important thing to consider is that you are entering a relationship  with this person. Make sure you choose someone that you like, respect, and who you actually  enjoy spending time with! If you don’t jibe with someone or the communication feels off, swipe 

left, my friends, swipe left. It is sometimes analogous to the process of buying a home —when  you know, you know.

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