The Kenyan real estate Industry has emerged as a booming market in the past couple of years thus making genuine real estate agents highly sought after.
Real estate brokers who are also known as realtors take up different roles in performing their jobs such as marketers, salespeople, and consultants. Their main goal is to match the right buyer to the right seller.
Needless to say, many Kenyan buyers have little or no experience with real estate agents thus making it hard for them to differentiate between the good and bad real estate agents. Genuine real estate agents may be hard to find if you are not aware of the qualities to look out for.
Here is a listing of some of the qualities you need to look out for before engaging real estate agents:
They should be professional
A real estate agent is the first link between the seller and the buyer and for this reason, the agent’s first impression may determine whether the sale will be successful or not. Therefore, a real estate agent should always be properly groomed so as to inspire confidence in the client.
In addition, the real estate agent should have the right qualifications and market knowledge. This can be determined by asking the agent questions such as how long he or she has been in that particular business and the merits and demerits of various properties that are found in different parts.
Good Communications Skills
The real estate agent should disclose all the information relating to the property. The agent should also return sms’s, calls and email quickly. Those posing as cons will conveniently leave out crucial information such as ongoing disputes on the property which may impede property development at a later stage.
Professional real estate agents will always take time to understand their clients’ needs in addition to following up on the communication between the prospective buyers and sellers.
Respecting the clients time
A good real estate agent will not only keep appointments with the buyers and sellers but will also ensure the deal is reached and that the property is either bought or sold.
The agent will also do research in order to give the client the right information when it comes to market trends.
References
A professional real estate agent will share with the client the contacts of previous clients. He or she will go ahead and call them and let them share the experience they had with him or her. This will enable you to decide whether to work with the agent or not.
Real estate agents affiliation
Most cons have resulted to printing business cards and distributing them around. It is therefore important for the client to find out the company that the real estate agent is attached to. One should also make a point of checking whether the real estate firm exists by visiting the Company offices physically and also finding out if the Company is known.
Property listing & Commitment
It is common knowledge that all real estate agents have property listings. Apart from checking the listings that the real estate has in his or her portfolio, you should ensure that the property mirrors what you are looking for.
The real estate agent should also be committed to his or her work by doing it as a full-time job. In this regard, the agent will be able to give you detailed progress reports, detailed paperwork, diligence to follow your work and always being at your disposal whenever you need him or her.
