Deciding whether to buy a new house or selling your current house is already a task difficult enough without worrying about finding the right agent to help you with it. We all have a different system which we follow when finding the right person to help us ease into this new transition, however, the team at Sold Right Away has put together a list of questions to help you decide if he or she is “the one”.

If you were to ask people what they look for when choosing an agent, their answers vary between client area expertise to experience, but neither help determine whether you will have a good experience. Some go on and limit their search to “good reputation”, that is good but also very vague, hence, it raises the question of difference in perception. Let’s cut to the chase, yes, you are special and so is the property at hand, so follow this guideline to find the right agent for you.

Here at Sold Right Away, you can call us old fashioned, but we believe the factor that trumps all others is “trust”, described by Josie Stern from Sutton Groups as “an agent who has an unbending moral fibre. This entails a moral compass without which your agent will not act in your best interest when advising or representing you.” I know what you’re thinking – How do you determine someone’s moral compass in the 5 – 10 minutes conversation you have with them during an interview? The answer is… are you ready? – asking open-ended questions! Here is a list of examples:

• Ask informational questions about their experience with a good or bad client. Josie Stern reminds us of an old parlor trick that has stretched as long as humanity can remember; “the ability to hear someone recount a story and thinking to yourself about the person’s personality.” Listening to them recount their story will be an eye opener!
• Find out what system they use to keep in touch? Having a communication line that is comfortable with you is crucial, especially when you really need to reach them. Yup, we have all been there.
• A common complaint from consumers is that they thought they were hiring one agent, but instead, were handed over to another member of the sales force team. This happens when team leaders assign clients to less experienced juniors in order to focus their energy in signing up the next big client. Make sure, before you sign the agreement, you clarify this matter!
• Ask about their soft skills – this includes: honesty and work ethic. It’s not something that can be taught, but something that’s engrained in your DNA. You know the old saying – “With great soft skills, comes great responsibility”, well, I think its something along that line. So don’t waste time and find someone with the soft skills that helps you trust them a little more than the others.
• What’s the step before hiring someone? Yes, that’s right – ask for references! Ask for 3-5 references from recent jobs to determine the experience other clients have had with the agents.

Asking these questions and more can allow you to evaluate their character which is crucial for the success of your house purchase or sale.