Hiring a real estate agent in Chicago can be frustrating. So what are the steps on how to find a good real estate agent in Chicago?
Many local large real estate brokers will spend thousands of dollars each month to ensure that their agents are the most visible, whether it be online, in the Yellow Pages, or by erecting giant billboards in the most trafficked sections of Chicago.
However, the agents backed by the most promotion dollars aren’t always the best, and may not be a good fit for your circumstances. In today’s piece, we’re going to look at how you can find a good real estate agent in Chicago.
[NOTE: If you need to sell your Chicago house fast and can’t wait the 6 months+ it is taking to sell a home on the local market… we may be able to help by buying your house from you. We can make you an all-cash offer within 24 hours on your house in as-is condition. ]
How To Find A Good Real Estate Agent In Chicago – Get Reviews… Real Reviews
Online reviews of real estate agents are easily manipulated, and can be often times little more than paid advertisements. It’s important to get honest reviews from any agent that you’re considering, and any reputable agent will be glad to provide you with recent clients.
Also, reviews are one of the best ways to see how any real estate professional does out in the marketplace.
As a last way to check out the agent… hit Google and type in “[name of agent] reviews” and see what pops up in the Google search. If you see a bunch of bad reviews on websites like yelp and others… see if the agent tried to engage with those negative reviewers online to resolve the situation.
Ask the Right Questions Of The Local Chicago Real Estate Agent
Ask the agent (or better yet, his or her former clients) the following questions to gauge the agent’s skill, and ability to represent you as a buyer or a seller:
- Was there any part of the process of buying or selling a home that clients were pleased or particularly displeased with?
- What was the asking price?
- What was the sales price?
- What properties have you worked with in my location?
- What about similarly sized properties?
It’s important to choose an agent who has experience working with homes similar to yours.
Check The Real Estate Agent’s Credentials
Check with your state’s real estate regulatory authority to verify the agent’s licensing. While you’re on that website, you’re also often able to look into regulatory actions and complaints against the agent.
You should also ask the agent how long they’ve been buying and selling homes. If they’re representing an agency, ask how long they’ve been with that particular agency, and their history with other firms.
Above all, it’s important to choose a real estate agent in Chicago that you can trust. Regular communication is extremely important when selling your home, as in many cases, a house represents the majority of your net worth. A good agent will be able to answer questions such as:
- How many inquiries have been made about my home?
- How many of these inquiries came from people likely to make a purchase (not just window shoppers)?
- What other properties in this neighborhood are for sale? What is the asking price of those homes?
Ask The Local Real Estate Agent How They Plan On Selling Your House
A great real estate agent is a great marketer so you are going to want to make sure that the real estate agent you choose has a good marketing plan in place. When you are interviewing for a potential Chicago IL real estate agent, ask them how they are planning on selling your house.
This is an absolutely critical point in the interview process to help you find the right person. The right agent will present a well though out plan to market the home and include specific action items they take that other real estate agents aren’t doing.
Just like anywhere else, You get what you pay for
Often times Chicago IL home sellers want to go with the lowest priced option.
A good real estate agent will spend a considerable amount of time marketing your property to find the right buyer. Of course, these top agents take the time to set up a specific marketing plan for your property to maximize the overall exposure of your property.
In most cases the time and money spent by a professional real estate agent to increase the exposure of your property will result in a quicker sale timeline and overall higher contract price. So even if you are able to find a real estate agent to work on a reduced commission structure it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be saving more money.
A strong marketing plan will reach the most potential buyers for your property but is also going to cost the real estate agent more time and money to execute. In most cases you’ll find that the increased exposure will result in a higher sale price that will more than cover the difference in commission that a discount real estate agent may offer.
The same goes for selling your house to a local real estate investor like Blue Ladder Development. The highest priced offer isn’t always the best. Look at the terms of the deal the house buyer offers you… and ensure they can close on-time… because every month that goes by costs you money (your mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, etc.) to hold the property.
It’s important to avoid low-quality real estate agents. These could be “rookies” who will do anything to make their first sale (including leaving dollars on the table). A good real estate can make selling your home an extremely smooth experience, and will work in your best interest.
So go out there and do your research and find a local real estate agent.
If you need to sell your house fast… we’d love to make you an all-cash fair offer on your house.
We can make you a no-obligation offer in 24 hours or less and you can weigh that option against going with a real estate agent.
Just click the link below and fill out the short form on the next page to get the painless process rolling.