What Makes A Good Real Estate Agent? Top 10 Qualities To Look For

Choosing a real estate agent based on a friend’s recommendation can save you the time you would have spent doing your own research. But while your friend’s referral can be helpful, it may not help you get the best deal on a new home or sell your home for the most money.

Making an informed decision about a real estate agent – the person who could influence your family’s living arrangements and financial future for years – can take a lot of work. You’ll need to sift through public information and try to determine when the star ratings you see are genuine or inflated. You may even start to notice that many agents seem to have five-star reviews.

So, how can you be sure you’re picking an agent who will deliver the results you’re hoping for? To find the perfect fit, navigate our guide to what makes a good real estate agent.

Top 10 Qualities Of A Great Real Estate Agent

A good REALTOR^® can make a huge difference in your home buying or selling journey. To make sure your agent is the best choice for your personal needs and goals, be on the lookout for these 10 qualities.

1. Local Knowledge

Neighborhood information is gold to home buyers. Most metro areas have a wide range of communities, each with pros and cons. That’s why it’s important to work with an agent who really knows the ins and outs of the area(s) you’re interested in. From intimate knowledge of the housing market to insight into neighborhood schools, the more you learn about what it’s like to live in a particular community, the better.

2. Communication Skills

One of the most frequent complaints from home buyers and sellers about agents is a lack of communication skills. Whether you’re buying or selling, time is of the essence. Updates on a new home on the real estate market – or a potential buyer’s counteroffer – must be immediate and clear.

Look for an agent with stellar reviews from clients who praise their communication skills. Just as importantly, make sure your agent can reach you as you prefer. That can be email, text, phone calls or in person.

3. Negotiating Know-How

How well does your agent negotiate home prices compared to other agents?

Even if you find your perfect home, there’s a good chance you’d rather not spend all your money on the house. The goal is to find a buyer’s agent with a talent for helping clients buy homes with your budget in mind. If you’re selling your home, look for a listing agent who routinely sells homes above the asking price. Look at average list-price-to-sales-price ratios to see if the agents you’re interested in are saving buyers money or meeting or exceeding seller asking prices.

There are also the matters of occupancy, contingencies and – as you negotiate after a home inspection – repairs. These issues are all parts of the home buying and selling process, and they can make or break your transaction. When you interview agents, ask how they’ve achieved the best results for their clients and then ask for references.

4. Marketing Ability

The ability to market a home is a critical skill for selling agents. Getting the best deal for your home and selling fast by reducing the time it takes to find a buyer is important. These goals can be accomplished by stirring up buyer interest quickly and generating lots of offers. The less time spent dealing with showings, open houses, two mortgages or contract negotiations, the better.

Ask the agent how they plan to reach potential buyers and convince them to make an offer on your home. Does the agent work independently or as part of a team at a major brokerage? Either scenario may limit or enhance their marketing ability. What advertising methods does the agent use: Direct mail, social media, SEO, email, a mix or all of them? How will the agent prep or stage your home for photos and showings? And what’s the plan if buyers aren’t making offers?

Whether you’re in a buyer’s market or a seller’s market, a good agent should have a proven marketing strategy to price your home right and reel in interested buyers.

5. Problem-Solving Skills

Whether selling or buying, getting the best deal on a home is rarely a simple process. When things go wrong, you need your agent to help fix the problem(s), ideally without causing a headache for everyone involved.

If a buyer gets an inspection on a home and the house needs repairs, for instance, they’ll rely on their agent to help negotiate the price of the home while accounting for the cost of repairs. You want an agent who will go above and beyond to make sure you’re getting the deal you deserve, even when extra costs, local restrictions and other hurdles may materialize.

The Bottom Line: Choose A Good Real Estate Agent Based On Your Needs

There are a lot of real estate agents out there, but only a few consistently outperform the local market. You may be tempted to default to a friend’s referral because it’s convenient, but you may have a better real estate experience if you focus on choosing the best agent for your goals and preferences.

If you’re ready to connect with a great REALTOR^®, Rocket Homes℠ can match you with a Verified Partner Agent to make sure your buying or selling experience goes as smoothly as possible.