Working with real estate agents is perhaps the most efficient and effective way to complete your real estate transaction. Whether you are looking to buy your dream home or want to sell your existing property at profitable rates, having a trusted real estate professional by your side can make a world of a difference. These property experts can help streamline your search for a new house or an apartment and only present you with options that complement your budget and lifestyle requirements. Similarly, these individuals are well-versed in the art of selling property and know exactly how to attract the right buyer in a short period.
However, working with others is not always the easiest thing to do. No matter how old or experienced we may be, it is imperative to always be considerate and try our best not to cause any unnecessary problems that might delay the result. The same goes for working with real estate agents. Since you hire these professionals to get the best deal possible on your real estate transaction, it is important to understand that the process may take some time. You may even face some unexpected hurdles along the way. But getting impatient with your property expert or expecting instant gratification is not the way to go.
If you are planning to find a real estate agent to close the deal on your next dream home, here are a few things you may want to avoid doing.
Things To Avoid Doing When Working with Real Estate Agents
We have extensively talked about the benefits of working with a real estate agent and discussed tips on how to hire a real estate agent. However, it’s about time we touched upon the basic etiquettes of working with these individuals.
Lying About Your Budget and Other Requirements
Every good relationship is built on trust and honesty. Therefore, one of the most important things to keep in mind when working with real estate agents is to be truthful about your budget and other requirements. If you want a property with a large backyard or a house with a swimming pool, you must communicate that to your real estate agent so they can look for suitable options.
Homebuyers and sellers must remember that they hired a real estate agent to help them out. These professionals usually serve as a conduit between two parties interested in buying and selling a property, thus everyone involved in the process should be forthcoming about what they want out of the deal.
The buyer must decide the top end of their budget, the desired size of the property, the preferred location, and the required amenities before hiring a real estate agent. So, if you want a house with a big patio where you can set up an outdoor dining area or you don’t want to live near a school, please let your real estate agent know all about it during the first meeting. This information will certainly help them narrow their search field for compatible property options. Otherwise, you would be wasting your time looking at a bunch of homes that don’t fit your lifestyle needs.
Misrepresenting your financial situation by quoting a budget that you can’t actually afford is also something prospective buyers must avoid doing while working with a real estate agent.
Repeatedly Visiting the Same Property Without Making an Offer
One of the top duties of a real estate agent is to help their client find properties that complement their requirements. However, the client also has to be upfront about their interest in purchasing the property instead of leaving the agent and the prospective seller guessing. Moreover, if you are in the market for a new home and something does strike your fancy, it is always a good idea to make an offer as soon as possible.
When it comes to the list of things to avoid doing when working with real estate agents, repeatedly visiting the same house or apartment for a quick look at its design features or layout can be extremely frustrating for everyone involved – especially if you refuse to commit to an offer. If a certain property has caught your eye, you can always take a few pictures or even make some videos for future reference. This way, if you ever need to compare it with another real estate offering, you can simply open the gallery on your mobile and scroll through the relevant images and recordings.
However, if you insist on visiting the same place over and over again, it will not only waste your real estate agent’s time but will also make them feel annoyed, which is probably the last thing you would want to do in the middle of a house-hunting process.
Constantly Contacting the Real Estate Agent for Updates
Following up with your real estate agent about a certain listing is completely normal, but constantly calling or messaging them for updates is a different thing altogether. Granted, buying a home is a huge financial milestone in the lives of many, which means one may feel a little nervous or confused during the process. However, that does not make it right to badger your real estate agent with endless queries.
To establish a good working relationship with your agent, you must give them some space and try to remember that they are most likely dealing with more than one home buyer or seller. Furthermore, it may be rude to call them after working hours and disturb their personal life. The same goes for the weekends. Even though many real estate agents work throughout the week, you shouldn’t expect them to provide you with the latest updates on your offer after every minute or so.
Wondering how often you should contact your agent? Well, once you choose a real estate agent to work with, please try to establish a communication routine that works for both parties. Ask them if they have any communication preferences and discuss all your expectations with them as soon as possible for a smooth buying or selling process.
Refusing to Be Flexible
Buying and selling a property is no easy feat. Both parties need to lay out their requirements as early in the process as possible and must be willing to compromise on a few factors. Being too stringent about your must-haves and non-negotiables can keep your real estate agent from helping you secure an excellent deal. To make things worse, your refusal to be flexible may even scare off every real estate agent you choose to work with.
Unless you are constructing your dream home from scratch, it is almost impossible to find a property that fits all your expectations while also complementing your budget. Even if you happen upon such a house or apartment, there are chances that things may not work out with the seller. As a buyer, you must always be ready to tackle such a situation with grace and sophistication, instead of blaming your real estate agent or forcing them to somehow make everything right and restart the negotiation process.
With the real estate market being highly competitive, the buyer must be willing to make a few sacrifices to ensure their offer stands out from the rest. Making offers well below the asking price can be insulting for the seller and the real estate agent alike, as the latter works on commission and may think that you are not serious about purchasing the property.
On a side note, if you are wondering how much commission a real estate agent gets on a property deal in Pakistan, our comprehensive guide on the topic may help you out.
Secretly Working with More Than One Real Estate Agent
Last but not least, you should never try to cut your real estate agent out of the deal by going to another agent. Many people also think the quickest way to buy and sell a property is to involve as many estate agents as possible since they are only paid if the business transaction is successful.
Although many prospective buyers may not realise it, real estate agents in the same area usually have a good working relationship with each other. Therefore, if you try to go behind your agent’s back to work with another, there is always a chance that they will find out about it sooner or later.
It is also one of the most unfair things a client can do to a real estate agent, considering the latter may be trying their best to find suitable property options for you while you are looking to replace them. If for any reason, your client-agent relationship does not work out, you should be very clear about ending the house-hunting process.
To conclude our guide on things to avoid doing when working with real estate agents, the client must never lie about their budget or other requirements, repeatedly visit the same house or apartment without committing to an offer, call the agent for minute-by-minute updates on their offer, refuse to compromise, or work with more than one professional to get a suitable deal.
If you are not happy working with a real estate agent, make sure to let them know to stop looking for properties on your behalf before seeking out another property expert. Meanwhile, if you are a real estate agent, you may want to check out the following guides to attract more clients and close more deals.
- Some of the Best Practices for Real Estate Agents
- Tips for Becoming a Successful Real Estate Agent in Pakistan
- Quick Stress-Relieving Tips for Real Estate Agents
There you have it – a complete rundown of things to avoid doing when working with real estate agents. If you have any questions or comments about the topic, please feel free to get in touch with us by sending an email at blog@zameen.com.
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