Mississauga Real Estate 101- Interviewing Real Estate Agents

Choosing the right real estate agent to represent you when listing your home for sale in Meadowvale or anywhere else in the Mississauga area is critical to how successful you are in selling for the highest price in the shortest amount of time. However, I continually see that many people do not "choose" their real estate agent at all. A name falls in their lap, either from an ad, a sign in their neighbourhood, or from a friend, etc. They make a call to the realtor and as long as that agent shows up at the door, s/he gets the job. Now, I admit, this process (or lack of) has also benefited my business in Meadowvale and Erin Mills, but I want to share with you why it is in your best interest to take the time to interview your realtor (or potential realtors) before signing on the dotted line.

For those of you who have a less than wonderful opinion about real estate agents, you are not alone. 67% of people in Meadowvale never use the same real estate agent twice. What does that say about customer satisfaction? If we generalize a little, by calling only one realtor and signing with them, there is almost a 70% chance you will not be satisfied with their performance. By calling even 3 real estate agents, and interviewing them, you at least have a 1 in 3 chance you find someone you will enjoy working with.

All real estate sales people are not created equal. I believe it is worth your effort to choose agent like Jeff Oleary, who strives for, and delivers premier service. I am so confident in my ability, you never have to feel "obligated" to use me just because you know me. You can interview me as strictly as you would anyone else, because I know that the more you ask, the more you will see how I provide superior service and expertise. And THAT is what is important when selling your home.

Examples of what questions to ask in an listing interview:

• How are you different from other Realtors in Mississauga?
• What do you do for your commission versus discount brokerages? What advantage do you give me in selling my house or condominium?
• What do you do to help me prepare my home for sale?
• What do you consider to be an "aggressive" marketing plan?
• What is your approach regarding setting the listing price of my home?
• If my home hasn't had any offers after 30 days, what does that indicate?
• Describe how you will advise me to make the right decisions regarding the sale of my home?
• What is your communication style?
• Do I have direct access to you anytime I have a question or concern?
• How will you make me a customer for life?

What to look for in their answers:

A superior real estate agent does not have to stop and think about their answers, they know their business inside-out, and know how they provide the service you need. You must feel comfortable with her/him and you must feel confident that s/he is actually listening to you and will maintain open communication with you at all times.  If you feel awkward, or don't feel like you got answers that make sense to you, take these as cues that you might not work well together.

If you take the time to get the right real estate agent to represent you, I can guarantee you will have better success throughout the process of selling your home.