When you’re planning to purchase or sell a home here in the greater McAllen area you’ll get plenty of advice. Some of it will center on which agent or agency to choose.
If your friends or family members have had a good experience with a certain agent, they’ll advise you to call that agent – and that’s good! Take that advice – at least as far as talking with the agent to see if your personalities are compatible.
If no one has a referral for you, some will tell you to choose a nationally known name. Others will tell you to choose one of the small, independent agencies.
Does the size of the agency matter? No. It doesn’t.
What matters is the integrity, knowledge, skill, professionalism, personality, ambition, and enthusiasm of just one agent: the agent representing you.
If you want to sell a home be aware that:
Every agent in our area has access to the same information from our Multiple Listing Service. That means we all have the facts at hand to provide homeowners with an accurate estimate of market value.
Every agent also has the opportunity to promote his or her listings through that service, as well as through multiple Internet portals. The difference is in the care each agent takes in doing so.
Some agents take one fuzzy photograph of a home and provide only the bare facts, such as square footage and the number of bedrooms and baths. Some, like me, use professional-quality photographs and post the maximum number allowed.
Then we provide all of the information that a home seeker might want. We write property descriptions that point out the most important features and benefits of the home.
In addition, some agents will advise you on how to make your home most appealing to buyers and others will not.
Before you choose a listing agent, investigate how the agent markets his or her listings. Just ask for links to other listings on line, or search for homes listed with that agent.
When you’re buying…
You want an agent who is familiar with the territory and can advise you on neighborhoods that will reduce your drive time to school, work, recreation, or medical care. Your agent should also be able to inform you about new developments in the area that might affect the value of your purchase over time.
You might also want your agent to show you statistics that reveal whether prices are rising or falling in the neighborhoods that interest you.
Important for both buyers and sellers…
Choose an agent with whom you feel comfortable. You’re going to be seeing a lot of this person over the next few weeks, so shy away from anyone who makes you feel intimidated in any way. It’s best if your personalities are similar, as well.
For instance: If you’re a talkative person, you’ll be uncomfortable with someone quiet – and if you’re a quiet person, someone who talks constantly might annoy you.
Buying or selling a home can be stressful. Reduce that stress by working with an agent you feel you can trust, and whose company you enjoy.
I’d love to be that agent. Call, write, or text me today.