Why it’s important to choose an agent carefully and do your research.
Are you careful and thoughtful when choosing a real estate agent? There are a lot of Realtors out there, and not all of them have your best interests in mind. This was proven to me during one of my recent transactions.
I was representing the seller, and the house got three good offers. The agent that submitted one of the offers told me their clients were willing to offer more, but this agent wasn’t willing to let them do that because they didn’t believe it would sell for as much as we were asking for. Well, guess what? We got it sold for more than we asked for.
"Make sure you do the research and choose your agent wisely."
Then about two weeks later, I got a call from someone who said they put an offer in for more than what we sold for, and they were wondering why we didn’t accept their offer. Oddly enough, we never actually received their offer. I can only assume that their agent didn’t believe the house would sell for that much and put in a lower offer on their behalf. However, we would’ve accepted their higher offer.
I feel bad because this poor buyer trusted this professional to represent them as they were trying to buy their first home. I want other people to be able to learn from these experiences. There are a plethora of Realtors out there, but not all of them have your best interests at heart. Unfortunately, some of them are working for their own interests, whether it be for money or pride.
One way you can combat this is by making sure your agent is giving you statistical data on the marketplace so you can make the best decision possible. If you're only going off on Zillow, Realtor.com, or Redfin, all three of these sites likely have different price points, and you don't know what algorithms are used to create that number. Therefore, make sure you do the research.
Also, make sure you see the documents you're signing. Too many buyers sign documents without a price, and then an agent changes the price for them. That’s malpractice in our industry, so be very mindful of that moving forward with whoever you're working with. Our job as professional Realtors is to provide you with the best information so you can make the most educated decision for you and your family.
I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with you and see how I can assist you with your buying or selling. Call anytime at (714) 335-0844. I look forward to hearing from you!
