What to Look For When Choosing a Realtor to Buy & Sell a Home

With an ever-changing real estate market, hiring a qualified real estate agent is more important than ever. For example, if you’ve been paying attention to the market over the last few years, you know that housing prices have been soaring, and buyers were clamoring for nearly any listing on the market. Houses were selling for well over the asking price, sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars, and sellers were receiving several offers at once. However, that dynamic has started to change — and quickly.

With the market dynamics changing quickly and dramatically, it’s more important than ever for both buyers and sellers to have a savvy real estate agent on their side who is experienced and in tune with the local market conditions. If you are looking for a Orinda real estate agent, keep reading for what to look for when choosing a realtor to buy and sell a home, and consider contacting Christina Linezo when you are ready to get started toward your goals.

 

As previously mentioned, experience in the local housing scene is key. With changing market dynamics, you’ll want an agent who's seen and done it all and can draw on their years of experience to adapt quickly to fluctuations in the market. Ask the following questions to determine whether the agent you’re considering has the experience you’re looking for:

 

This will help to determine how long they’ve been selling real estate in total.

 

Maybe your potential agent has been selling homes for several years, but have they been active this year? With a quickly changing market, look for an agent who has been active this year and is in touch with current market conditions.

 

Certain types of properties and transactions have quirks and nuances. For example, residential, commercial, new construction, investment properties, and remodel projects may require separate, special, personalized insights from your agent. If you’re in the market for a unique property, ask the agent if they have the necessary experience for your situation.

 

The agent may come highly recommended in another market, but it’s important that the agent is knowledgeable about the exact market you’re buying or selling in. This means that you need to team up with an agent who is “in the know” as soon as new listings are coming on the market. On the flip side, if you’re selling a property, you’ll want an agent that can best advise you on strategies, such as appropriate pricing for your specific location.

Christina Linezo is a highly knowledgeable Orinda realtor with expert insight into the local housing scene. She is ready to guide you through the process, whether you’re looking to buy or sell.

 

If you’re looking to sell your home or property, effective marketing is a critical component. As the market shifts from a seller’s market to slightly in the buyers’ favor, marketing is even more important. At the market’s recent peak, sellers could do no wrong as buyers were clamoring for homes. However, as buyers now have more choices, sellers need to ensure that their home catches a buyer’s eye, and marketing is a big part of this.

Look for a realtor who offers a robust marketing plan. Ask to see the agent’s current and prior listings and pay close attention to the quality of the listing’s photos, videos, virtual walkthroughs, and other marketing materials. A good agent will ensure that the listing looks its best in all marketing materials.

Speaking of making sure your home looks great, will the agent assist with staging? Even if they don’t offer staging services themselves, a qualified agent will be able to help you walk through your home and identify elements that current buyers may or may not appreciate. After completing this exercise, an experienced agent will have a network of trusted professionals that can help you put your house over the top.

In addition to the visual representation of your home, ask the potential agent what other marketing strategies they will use. Where will the listing be advertised? Will it be only on the agent’s website, or do they plan to advertise through other avenues as well? Hosting broker tours and open houses can also be an effective strategy. Does the agent plan to host any of these kinds of events?

Christina Linezo is an experienced Orinda real estate agent who knows how to build and execute a winning marketing strategy to sell your home at the best price possible.

You definitely want to ensure that your agent is attuned to the current market, but at the same time, you should feel comfortable with the amount of time they have to devote to you. Both buyers and sellers should feel that they’re a priority to their agent.

Buying and selling real estate is a big deal and can be emotional for a lot of reasons. It’s a considerable investment; for many people, it is the most valuable asset they will ever buy or sell. As such, you should feel that you can completely trust your agent. This can come down to a simple gut feeling, but it can also be helpful to ask for references and reviews from past clients. You can read some of Christina Linezo’s testimonials here to get a sense of her high level of customer service and success.

When you are ready to move forward in Orinda real estate, team up with Christina Linezo to represent you as either a buyer or a seller. As a top-notch agent, Christina is dedicated to making your home buying or selling process as enjoyable, smooth, and stress-free as possible. Get started today.