Thursday, January 21, 2010

How Your Real Estate Agent Should Work with You

The transition away from face to face and more to online transactions and communication has caused many business professionals to forget how to deal with clients face to face. One of the hardest hit professions of the syndrome may be real estate agents. If you’re transitioning from an online to a face to face relationship with your real estate agent, it may leave you wondering how this relationship should shake out.


Communication is a Skill


Communication is a skill you can learn, but is necessary for a real estate agent to have in order to form a successful relationship with clients. How comfortable you feel with dealing with a real estate agent the first time you meet with them can dictate whether the agent winds up with a sale at the end of the process. Make sure that the agent is calling you and emailing you to keep you abreast of the situation throughout the process as well.


Emotions are Part of the Process


When you’re buying or selling a home, it can be a very emotional process. A professional and experienced real estate agent understands and expects this from clients. Panic, fear, uncertainty, and joy are but a few of the emotions that may make an appearance during the process. This is where good people skills come in handy when working with a real estate agent because a good agent knows how to deal with these emotions and not allow them to get in the way of the end-result – buying or selling the property.

Agents Work with You, Not for You

Working with a real estate agent means that you have access to professional help and advice when buying or selling a home. An agent should work in a way that is in your best interest, but it’s important to remember that the agent is human and can only control so much of the process. A professional real estate agent should do everything in their power to satisfy a client’s needs, but jumping through hoops is not really part of the job description.

Working with a real estate agent on your real estate transaction is a professional interaction, but the relationship has plenty of personal and emotional touch points. When choosing a real estate agent, make sure you feel comfortable with the person because it may be someone you’re working with for months to come. While their professional experience is a factor that should play into your decision, you need to find the balance between their professional and personal experience in order to make it a truly enjoyable process.

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