The real estate field is rapidly expanding in San Antonio and Central Texas, especially in the hot districts. With a lot of Realtors jumping on the wagon over the past few years, you may find yourself wondering whether or not your Realtor is up to snuff when it comes to selling your home.
In this blog post we will provide some tips for recognizing a bad agent in San Antonio and Central Texas so that you can make an educated choice if you decide to sell to a Realtor or directly to a house buyer.
1) Your agent doesn’t know the area well
You’ve heard this one before “location, location, location” and it’s just as true for real estate agents in San Antonio and Central Texas as when they say it about houses. When interviewing an agent, ask them where they live and what part of town they have done most of their business. If their answer is outside the city limits of the community and has none to a few listings in your area… you are getting ready to move on, run away! It may be true that you can teach an old dog new tricks, but your best bet is finding a professional who knows not just the area you want to sell in but also how to get around quickly and efficiently because if they don’t they will probably spend more time on the road than in front of prospective buyers.
2) Misleading
Some agents are motivated by commissions and only care about getting paid and not necessarily doing the job right. They may use common tricks that work, but they don’t actually help you sell your house and you should avoid them at all costs. Beware of agents that promise more than they can deliver, claim the sky is the limit for price and value, try to get you to reduce your price before you are ready to sell…etc. Being an agent is truly a work of service and if someone is simply out for themselves they will most likely let you down in the long run.
3) Did they just take on another listing?
A good agent is busy throughout most parts of year but there’s no excuse for an agent who takes on more listings than they can possibly serve their clients and handle well. It means not only do you have one less potential advocate (for your house) but also one less available pair of eyes looking at prospects marketing your home and you could lose valuable time and money as a result.
4) No follow through
No callbacks! No email replies! No return texts! If you’re not getting prompt service from your agent, they probably do the same to prospect buyers. It’s important that when you spend thousands of dollars on something like selling a home, at least you have to make sure it is done right and with excellence and an agent who doesn’t return calls, emails or texts isn’t going to get this done for you…ever.
5) Trust your gut
Some people refer to it as the “crazy factor” and there may be something to that, but if your agent makes you feel bad or uncomfortable about anything at all, for example price negotiations or making an offer…trust yourself. If you don’t like them and they don’t make you feel comfortable – probably a bad fit. On the flip side of that coin though is if you really like an agent and he/she doesn’t come off as having what it takes to sell your house then keep looking until you find someone who does. Whomever puts you most at ease and gives you the feeling that they know what they’re doing and can definitely get it done will work best for YOU. Keep mind this is YOUR house and YOUR money.
Why not avoid learning these and other signs of a bad real estate agent in Texas for yourself?
When you’re ready to sell your house, consider selling it directly. You can save time and money… thousands of dollars, no kidding. Reach pout to a reputable house buying company like us and we’ll make an offer that makes sense, avoiding all the headache of hiring an Agent.