As a seller and a buyer
Knowing what constitutes a good agent, as both a vendor and purchaser, will assist you in achieving the best outcome for your sale or purchase of real estate in a stress free manner. Make no mistake; the wrong agent can turn a stres sful situation into a downright dreadful situation. But a good agent can make a stressful situation tolerable and sometimes even enjoyable.
What constitutes a good agent for a seller may not necessarily mean that they would be a good agent for a buyer and vice versa. For example, if an agent is incapable of achieving a buyer’s highest price for a property, the seller’s loss becomes the buyer’s gain. It is therefore very worthwhile identifying separately, what makes a good agent for a seller and what makes a good agent for a buyer.
From a seller’s point of view
A good agent will always tell you what you need to know and not what you want to hear. Often, this will include the absolute truth about your property and its market value. Whether you do or don’t like what the agent has to say, they possess the courage and fortitude to level with you about the facts.
In some circumstances such as a falling market, the worst thing an agent can do is hold back from telling you the truth. The longer it takes you to move in a falling market the bigger the price drop you need to make in order to catch up to a falling market price.