Making the choice to sell your home is a big decision followed by a series of even bigger decisions. While many of these choices are of equal importance, one certainly stands out as potentially the toughest. Finding the right agent can be a frustrating process. First off, you obviously want someone from your area; someone with a strong knowledge of your suburbs’ statistics and trends, but also of what your town has to offer in terms of infrastructure or community. You also want a professional; someone who looks the part and can be trusted with such a momentous point in your lives. They should also be a strong negotiator; someone who will stand by your price and only settle for less when you’ve indicated that they can. Naturally you ask yourself where on earth you can find someone who ticks all those boxes!
For all the bins and park benches adorned with faces of Perth’s finest, you can’t stop progress. No matter the public exposure, potential clients are always hopping onto Google first and foremost. Sounds simple, but here’s where it gets tricky…
Thankfully, most in the industry have been well-aware the digital revolution which has led to the tried-and-true search portals all agents use. However, as convenient as these referral websites may seem, they can be equally as misleading! While the sites are meant to present the seller with the best agents in their area to pick from, the truth is that the site is charging agents a fee for every lead they get from the site. As a result, these charges obviously have a flow-on effect, and therefore give the agent less room to negotiate on their own fees! This then creates an issue with communication, as most sellers we spoke to had no idea their agent was getting charged for their lead.
With these sites having established themselves so strongly as the digital hub for all agents, it might seem difficult to avoid these fees. However, the answer has always been there and continues to be. As always, our industry has worked heavily on recommendations, and good agents regularly receive referrals from past clients, friends and family. So, let’s keep it that way. There’s every chance you’ll find a great agent through the usual digital channels, but what’s more reassuring than a recommendation for someone you’re going to be putting a lot of trust into, from those who you trust the most!? The best thing you can do is simply discuss it around the dinner table or talk it out with mates over a drink, and the best agent for you should simply fall into your lap!