No doubt when you are looking to buy or sell a home, you start by looking for an experienced real estate agent.
You may ask for referrals from friends and do some research of your own and that's perfect. But when making the choice to work with an agent you want to make sure that they are NOT just experienced, but knowledgeable about the type of real estate transaction you might be entering into.
Segments of the real estate market
You might say that experience breeds knowledge and I agree with that. But just because an agent has years of experience, doesn't mean it is in the segment of the real estate market that you will need it in.
What if for example you have identified a "short sale" listing that you think you might want to purchase. If you hire an agent that has a ton of experience in selling homes, but is not truly knowledgeable with how the short sale works you might/will be setting yourself up for a lot of needless frustration and possibly failure.
Same thing, if you need to sell your home short and hire an agent that has no experience AND knowledge of how to work this particular segment of the market, you may not get your home to the closing table.
New construction is another perfect example of this. If your agent has no working knowledge of how the process works, they can have all the real estate experience in the world but they will not be able to guide you through the specific ins and outs of the new construction world.
Like wise for commercial sales. Leases too for that matter. Condos are also another segment of the market where your agent needs not just years of experience but some specific knowledge of the process.
What about geography?
With the wide spread use of the internet, we may not see real estate as all that local. But for a buyer, it is specifically important that you know the ins and outs of a community before making a purchase. Experience in real estate sales and knowledge of the particular marketplace may not be one and the same.
So while experience and knowledge may not always go hand in hand, you will want to make sure that your agent possesses both. If they don't have the working knowledge of a particular area, whether it be geographical or technical, then you best make sure they are up to learning that or giving you a referral prior to getting deep into a transaction.
You don't want to be the test case.
If you are looking to Sell or Buy a home, give Carol-Ann Palmieri a call.
If for some reason, I can not help you, I PROMISE to refer you to someone that can!
508-494-9061
Carol-Ann Palmieri
Al and Cal Realty Group
508-494-9061
Great points Carol Ann. Do Real Estate agents advertise their specialty areas? Or is this something one asks when interviewing agents?
ReplyDeleteYour posts are always interesting and thought-provoking.
Thanks.