Matters involving real estate can be confusing. With a volatile stock market, which home prices, office rental rates, and mortgage rates heavily rely on, the fluctuating prices may easily throw you off. It’s best to have a professional to guide you through your purchasing journey. Real estate agents do this for you, and more.
Property agents act as the intermediary between you and the seller of the property you’re interested in buying. They are licensed professionals who deal with transactions and act as the representatives for buyers, sellers, and prospective tenants in real estate negotiations. Though your agent primarily mediates between you and the seller or landlord of the property you’re interested in, there’s more to an agent’s duties and responsibilities.
What to Expect from Your Property Agent
A basic job description of a real estate agent is to:
- Rent, buy, or sell property on the client’s behalf
- Scrutinize property listings
- Consult with clients and represent them on purchases
- Take clients on property site visits
- Go over the terms of sale
- Write real estate contracts
Agents need to understand the laws and regulations in the market. For example, if you want to renovate a portion of the property you are buying or leasing, how much of it can you actually rebuild and to what extent? In Florida, there are stronger implementations on using sturdy, wind-proof material for building, whereas other states are more lenient. Building codes exist to ensure minimum level of safety for establishments. Flood and hurricane prone areas, like Florida, specifically require sturdier material to avoid or at most reduce property damage. A good agent would know such details to guide your decisions better.
Those are just the basic duties of a real estate agent. But an agent’s primary duty is to secure an offer for you, as your representative for the property you’re interested in. Your agent should explain laws, regulations, contracts, and legal matters associated with your property in great detail.
What is Great Customer Service in Real Estate?
Your agent should make time for you, and communicate the way you prefer. Real estate agents are busy professionals who may be handling other clients besides you. But they still need to make sure they’re setting meetings with you and reaching out to you when you need them.
An experienced real estate agent should ask you for your preferred mode of communication. These could be through texts, calls, chat apps, or emails. Once you relay your preferred medium, your agent should stick to this up until the end of your transaction.
Additionally, your agent should meet your purchasing needs. Market trends and conditions discussed in previous meetings should reflect on the property you want to buy. Once you and your agent reach an agreement favorable to you, then that shouldn’t change later on. That is, unless a better deal comes along.
Your agent is your representative in the real estate market; though he knows best about the climate, you’re still the buyer and still the end user. Your needs should always be at the forefront of his mind and on the decisions he makes on your behalf.