Hiring a La Quinta real estate agent can be tricky. Whether you are buying or selling, you want someone who is knowledgeable, professional, and has your best interests at heart. As an agent myself, I work hard to gain the business of my clients, and I know many other agents will be doing the same.
In my opinion, good real estate agents know how to sell homes, but they also do a good job of communicating their available services to you. Obviously, you want an agent who tells you the truth rather than uses tricky tactics to get your business. How can you tell the difference?
As a real estate agent, I strategize to get your business. Think of it this way: when we are selling your house we stage it to highlight the positive qualities and minimize the negative. Real estate agents also know how to stage themselves when pitching potential clients. I will share some of these strategies here, to help you determine if you are speaking with a quality agent, or a smooth talking salesperson. Here are some signs to look for:
- Multiple property listings
When I was starting out, I wanted potential clients to believe that I had experience, so I showed them a huge pile of papers with listings. I do the same thing today, but the listings are more likely to be on a web site. While this big list of homes looks impressive at first glance, it is possible that many of the listings do not actually belong to the agent you are interviewing. Read the fine print, usually in tiny letters at the bottom, to make sure these listings actually belong to the agent, and are not just listed to other agents from the same office.
- Claiming to be a specialist
Sometimes agents will claim to be a specialist in a particular neighborhood or a specific type of transaction. Some are, but others are simply making a sales pitch. Ask how many homes in this particular neighborhood the agent has closed on. Can the agent describe some of the special transactions that were successfully completed, including names of clients and addresses? If the agent cannot answer these questions, it’s a good sign that they can’t truly back up these claims.
- How many years of experience are on the agent’s marketing materials?
A truly experienced agent will make sure that the number of years they’ve been in the business is clearly stated. If this information is not on the agent’s card or flyer, chances are good that they have not been in the business very long. This does not necessarily mean that they are incompetent. Newer agents who are making a name for themselves will often go the extra mile for clients. However, be cautious of any agent who implies years of experience without backing it up.
- Do you get vague answers to specific questions?
While a good sales pitch is part of the package, you should be getting hard data on numbers like key median prices, inventory, and days on the market. If an agent is long on generalities but light on specifics, move on to someone else.
- Can you talk to previous clients?
A testimonial from a previous client can be a good recommendation for a real estate agent. If marketing items include such testimonials, but do not list the names of the happy customers, ask if you can contact them yourself. There are dishonest people in every profession, and some agents might fabricate a glowing testimonial. Most happy customers are thrilled to share their experiences with potential clients. If the agent refuses to give you contact information for references, this could be a red flag.
Talk It Out
When considering who to work with, take these things into account; then, I encourage you to go with your gut. A little “chemistry” between us can be a good sign that we will work well together and enjoy working together; this, in my experience, leads to a successful real estate experience.
Guest blog written by Kimberley Kelly who specializes in selling in and around La Quinta including La Quinta Golf Homes, Palm Desert Golf Homes, and Palm Springs Golf Homes.
