What I Wish Every Homeowner Knew Before Choosing an Agent
QV’s latest figures show Wellington house prices down 3.2% over the past three months – in line with the usual winter cool-down, and, I suspect, a touch of election caution creeping in ahead of November. Nothing alarming, but a reminder that timing and preparation matter more than ever in a market like this.
If I could give every homeowner one piece of advice before choosing a real estate agent, it would be this:
After 17 years in Wellington real estate, I’m still surprised how few people do this. In fact, I can only remember one couple who deliberately did.
Around 2018, they came through one of my open homes and told me they weren’t interested in buying the property. They were planning ahead and visiting open homes to interview agents while they were actually doing the job.
We hit it off, and that first conversation became a working relationship lasting almost five years. COVID interrupted their plans, renovations took much longer than expected and building costs increased considerably. Along the way I advised them to rethink parts of their proposed renovation because I didn’t believe the original layout would give them the best flow or return when it came time to sell.
They trusted that advice, eventually completed the work and achieved a fantastic result, allowing them to move elsewhere in New Zealand for the slower, semi-retired lifestyle they’d been working towards.
Their review went like this:
I’ve often reflected on their approach and still admire them for being so clever and considered in their thinking. They’d done their homework and taken the time to watch agents at work before ever choosing one. That careful approach ultimately helped them achieve the best possible outcome.
If you’re considering an agent, take half an hour one weekend and watch them work. Are they actually taking their own open home, or has someone else been sent? How do they greet people, and do they genuinely engage with buyers rather than simply handing out a brochure? Do they know the property and neighbourhood well?
Imagine those visitors are potential buyers for your home – would you be happy with how you’re being represented?
An open home is an agent’s stage. It’s where the promises made in an appraisal presentation become reality.
Then, when you invite agents to appraise your home, don’t just ask what they think it’s worth and what they’ll charge. Ask how they think.
Here’s what to ask:
- What happens if the initial pricing strategy is wrong and nobody makes an offer – how long would they persist before recommending a change?
- How would they determine whether the problem was price, presentation, marketing or method of sale?
- Who will personally run your open homes and follow up the buyers, and how often will you hear directly from them?
- What happens if the property hasn’t sold after the initial marketing campaign?
- Tell me about a difficult property you’ve sold – what did you change when Plan A didn’t work?
- What comparable sales support your appraisal, and who do you believe my likely buyer will be?
- What would you advise I spend money on before selling – and, just as importantly, what should I not spend money on?
Choosing an agent based solely on the highest appraisal, lowest commission or biggest profile can be tempting. But quoting a price and achieving it are two very different things.
Almost anyone can present an impressive plan for the first few weeks of a campaign. I’d want to know what they’re going to do in week six if Plan A hasn’t worked.
If selling might be somewhere in your future – whether that’s six months or several years away – start your homework early. And if you’d like some advice on what to prepare, what not to spend money on, or simply where to start, I’m always happy to have that conversation well before you’re ready to choose an agent.
Good decisions are much easier to make before you’re under pressure.