Considering all the news and headlines about the ultra-hot real estate market of today, there’s been an enormous increase in interest surrounding our local west-end Toronto market for some time now. Is it time to buy, sell, invest, or wait out this bubble? For many, it seems like they must choose now or risk missing out on a lost opportunity.
If you’re not exactly sure how to choose a real estate agent for guidance, relying on an agent you know might be the easiest answer. However, just because you might already know a real estate agent doesn’t mean they’re the right fit for you.
So, no matter what moves you’re thinking about making in today’s fast-paced Toronto real estate market, our guide below is here to help you determine how to choose a real estate agent that’s the best fit for you and your personal goals.
Who Are They?
Whether your next-door neighbour swears by “his guy”, your family member says they know “the best in the business”, or your coworker is perpetually sharing an agent’s posts, almost everyone seems to know someone working in real estate.
While they might be a close personal friend of yours or someone whose lawn signs you’ve seen popping up around the neighbourhood, knowing exactly who a prospective agent is before contacting them is the crucial first step in how to choose a real estate agent.
Our advice: don’t just start dialling a phone number because you’ve seen it often or got it from a trusted source. Instead, do your due diligence and research them. Even if you personally know a real estate agent, doing your homework beforehand can save you big time down the line.
What’s Their Experience?
Step two of our guide on how to choose a real estate agent is all about refining your options. No matter how well you think you know your real estate connection, it’s always worth it to compare them to competitors in the industry.
At this stage, you’ve narrowed down your search to a few different real estate agents and learn all you can about them. Compare your findings honestly, paying the agent you already know particular attention to.
Some things to ask yourself when comparing agents include:
- What are their official designations?
- Do they specialize in buying or selling homes?
- Which neighbourhoods do they service?
- How long have they been practicing real estate?
- What can you tell from their firm history?
- What do their reviews and testimonials look like?
Answering all of these questions with an impartial mindset will help you realize if the candidate you personally know will actually get the best results for you or it’s best to look elsewhere.
What’s Your Relationship With Them?
While it might not seem overly important at first, considering your current relationship with your potential real estate representative is very important.
At Sidorova Inwood, it’s our team’s mission to make your real estate experience as easy, fun, and pain-free as possible. However, not every agent shares the same client-focused values. And, when it comes to buying or selling homes, the real estate process can be quite emotionally taxing.
As the old adage goes, it’s best not to mix business and family — and in our opinion, the same goes for close friends. Although we develop very close relationships (and oftentimes friendships) with our clients, we’re also very conscious about maintaining those relationships in the long term.
If your potential real estate representative is your spouse, close family member, coworker, or someone else you interact with nearly every day, then it might be best to reconsider if you really want to depend on them in a high-pressure, potentially stressful scenario.
Finding A Perfect Match
At the end of the day, whether you choose a real estate agent that you already personally know or if you think it’s probably best to find someone else, the most important detail is that they’re the right match for you.
How do we define the perfect match? You should choose an agent that provides you with open and honest communication, an agent that is more concerned with your unique wants and needs above their own commission rates and transactions, and an agent who cares not just about your current homeownership goals, but plans for your long-term future goals too.
Do you need some more guidance on how to choose a real estate agent that’s the perfect fit for you? Whether we end up connecting you with one of our experienced real estate agents or someone from outside our team, we’re here to offer you our honest advice. Contact us here to speak with us today.
