Selling your home is a long, complicated process when you go the traditional route. You might be thinking, “I need to sell my house fast in Pittsburgh.” Very often, desperate homeowners hire the first real estate agent they come across or trust the job to a friend, neighbor, or acquaintance, hoping to sell the house quickly.
Sadly, this is a huge mistake and can cost you heavily. The wrong real estate agent might cause you to miss out on excellent buyers, mess up negotiations, or even talk you into selling your home lower than its market price. Selling a home is a life-changing transaction, and there is no room for errors or missteps.
To ensure you don’t end up with a bad deal, learn to recognize the signs of an incompetent real estate agent. This post will walk you through the top warning signs that indicate you might have a bad realtor. We also tell you what you can do if that happens.
Bad Reviews
The first sign of a lousy realtor is poor reviews. Before you hire a realtor, check out their reviews on Google and other sites like Realtor and Zillow. It’s okay to have negative reviews from a few dissatisfied clients.
What you need to watch out for is the pattern of negative comments. You know it’s a red flag if you notice multiple negative reviews within a short span. Also, be wary of realtors with zero or few reviews because it shows that they are new to the game and might not have the experience or expertise to help you sell fast.
Poor Communication
Selling a home is a huge transaction, and your realtor needs to go the extra mile to win your trust. One of the biggest deciding factors is the agent’s communication skills because they can make or break the relationship. If you notice that the realtor is too busy to respond to your questions or if they are evasive, this can be a big red flag.
While we agree that realtors are busy professionals, they must ensure that they respond to clients’ questions within a reasonable timeframe, usually within one business day. Good realtors provide clients with genuine, timely, and helpful advice every step. Bad realtors leave you hanging with no prompt replies. And, if they get back to you, their answers are lackluster and vague.
Lack of Industry Insights
One of the reasons homeowners choose realtors instead of selling their homes on their own is the treasure trove of knowledge and expertise the realtor brings to the table. Good agents are familiar with the entire process, from listing to closing. They handle all the paperwork, legal disclosures, and other functions. They also provide accurate information about the local real estate market, suggesting the best ways to sell your Pittsburgh home fast and for bigger profits.
What Do You Do If You Hire a Bad Real Estate Agent?
Breaking a contract is never easy, but it’s possible. Go through your listing agreement to see the conditions to terminate your contract with the realtor. Sometimes, you might have to reimburse the marketing costs the realtor spent selling your property. Remember that every real estate contract is different, so look over the agreement to decide if it makes sense to fire the realtor.
If you’ve successfully managed to terminate the contract, you can try to sell the house on your own by connecting with cash home buyers in Pittsburgh. Cash buyers quickly inspect your property and provide you with a free no-obligation quote that helps you sell your home quickly and without an agent.