So many people are asking “How do I choose the right Santa Cruz Realtor®?” Selling your home in Santa Cruz or any area can be an emotional experience for anyone. Some are selling their homes because they are ready to expand or relocate; others are ready to get the weight off of their chest. When looking to buy or sell a home, especially in times like this with our current economy and so many people under water on their mortgage. Like anything in life, what is right for you might not be the same as what is right for someone else, so there isn’t a definite answer to this question. However, there are several factors that everyone can consider when thinking of choosing who you would like to work with and trust with one of the most important financial decisions of your life.
What to consider when choosing the right Santa Cruz Real Estate Agent.
First, an experienced agent who knows what they are doing is going to have a better chance of saving you time and money. They will know the neighborhoods and often the floor plans of the homes, helping point out additions and changes, and get you from home to home quickly. They will be able to knowledgeably compare other homes in the surrounding area in order to help you make a better decision on what to offer or accept on your home.
On the other hand, an inexperienced agent could potentially end up taking more of your time, not knowing the neighborhoods or how to get from Home A to Home B. They might have little knowledge about the homes in that particular area, and the prices they range in. This could lead you to offer the wrong price, and potentially over pay, or miss out on the right home.
When looking to purchase or sell your home, you will be spending a lot of time in communication with your Realtor®, so it can be important to some people that their sales person is someone they get along with well and enjoy interacting with. Just because you call someone with a license who works for a company with a big name, it often times won’t have much correlation with that person as an individual. Sit down, have a conversation with them, ask questions, and see if it fits before you ever step out to see a home with them.
Should I choose a Sales Person from a large corporation?
Having a Santa Cruz agent who works for a well-known, large company such as Coldwell Banker or Century 21 can be a benefit in that the company has large recognition. However, sometimes it can be better to choose someone who works for a smaller company with a very solid and respected reputation in order to get away from that “corporate attitude” that larger companies can sometimes tend to emanate.
Should I Only Interview Realtors® With Experience?
Interviewing a Santa Cruz Realtor® can be a very interesting process. The punch lines can range everywhere from “I sell the most houses” and “I have a million awards,” to “I’m new and have all the time in the world to focus on you as a client.” In my experience, there are pros and cons to both.
First, let’s look at someone who is the self-proclaimed “best”; they may have experience and sell a lot of homes, but this by no means will translate into a desirable experience and/or the ultimate result you were looking for in the first place. In most cases, if your Santa Cruz sales person is too busy bragging about themselves, it leaves almost no time for them to really listen to you as their client and understand your wants and needs. They tend to be overall focused on the number of transactions they do per year and not the quality of relationships they maintain with their clients.
If you decide that you want a newer agent who has all the time in the world to focus on your deal, this can potentially cost you more money due to inexperience and inevitable mistakes here and there because, in essence, you are paying for that Realtors education. However, since they don’t have deals and awards to show off, they can be humble and more in tune with really trying to listen to what exactly it is that you want in your real estate experience.
How To Find The Best Real Estate Agent for you.
My recommendation is to talk to all your friends and family, people that you trust and ask for a recommendation or referral. This has historically been the best way to find a fit. If you would like find a agent on your own, I would recommend they are knowledgeable and take the time to understand your goal. It is worth it to wait till you are comfortable with someone to move forward, this could be the difference between an exciting experience or your worst nightmare.
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