“Customer-centric” is a term that means that a person, business, or service is based on the specific needs of the customer, and goes much deeper than the philosophy that “the customer is always right.” When it comes to Real Estate, it’s important that a good relationship is formed between the agent and seller, so that tough conversations and situations can be navigated for the best interest of the client. In real estate, a true professional is not always going to give you an answer that makes you short-term happy – they are going to give you truth, so that you can work towards long-term satisfaction. Whether you are buying or selling, if you don’t seem to be making progress, but notice that your real estate agent always agrees with you, this is actually a very bad sign. They are not having your best interests at heart. Read on to decide if your agent is “Customer-Centric.”
The Best Five Indicators That Your Real Estate Agent is Customer-Centric
- Your agent knows you by name and remembers details about your situation
- Your agent is responsive to your questions and concerns
- Your agent is proactive regarding problems
- Your agent tells you the truth
- Your agent is not afraid to change things
It seems rather obvious, but someone who doesn’t remember your name and basic facts about your situation after contracting with you is probably not very focused on you. Of course, we all get busy, and sometimes forget things or get our details confused with someone else’s, so don’t let an occasional forgetful episode concern you. However, if they never know your name or situation, that’s a sign you’re not a priority. Time to move on.
From time to time, we all are going to have questions and concerns that occur outside of normal business hours. Of course your real estate agent has a life, but in the real estate business, most agents are very responsive to questions or concerns. This doesn’t mean that you’ll get an answer right away on a weekend or evening, but it does mean it’s unlikely you will go days without a response. Remember to be respectful, of course – things happen, and maybe they experienced a death in the family. But if they are constantly on vacation for two weeks in Aruba and don’t respond to your questions, that’s a bad sign.
Problems are not always bad. Problems are a sign for opportunity and growth. A good real estate agent recognizes what problems may occur and is upfront about it before they occur. That doesn’t mean they will be able to foresee every issue, but if they realize your home was built before a certain time period, a good agent will be making sure it meets certain safety standards.
Sometimes the truth is less than wonderful. Telling you that you need a new roof before you can begin to think about selling for a decent price isn’t what you want to hear, but a good agent will tell you the truth. Telling you that bright orange walls aren’t attractive to most buyers is not easy, but it’s absolutely necessary. Their long term goal is to get you the price you want for your home – they aren’t going to be telling you things you want to hear all the time, unless your house was in top-notch selling shape to begin with.
A customer-centric agent is not afraid to change things – meaning, if something isn’t working, they aren’t afraid to take a new route. Maybe that’s suggesting an open house, offering a carpet allowance, or lowering your asking price. Again, not things you necessarily wish to hear, but sometimes absolutely necessary.
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