There are a plethora of luxury real estate agents in the world. They all have different methods and ideas about luxury real estate, and some are absolutely incredible.
But some are just bad listing agents there to list your home and wait for a phone call.
I’m here to give you a guide on how to select the ideal luxury real estate agent and where to find them.
I believe a luxury real estate agent should feature four distinct traits:
- Method
- Personality
- Knowledge
- Effort
If a broker features a good score in all those tenets, then, in my book, they qualify for luxury real estate.
We’ll start with Method.
The Method of a Luxury Real Estate Agent
Method is important for any real estate agent, but it’s especially important for a luxury real estate agent.
Since all luxury homes have a unique personality and form of display, a great luxury agent must identify the key features of these homes, and effectively market them.
This means communicating across multiple channels to captivate buyers.
Video Marketing
The most fun I’ve ever had in luxury real estate is marketing homes. It’s why I continue to do what I do.
You want to find a broker that is comfortable getting in front of a camera and leading your potential buyers on a video tour through your home.
Why?
Because one, it makes your luxury home look extra special, but two, if other real estate agents do it and yours doesn’t, are you getting the best service?
Great pictures of a luxury property are one thing. Great videos of a property are one thing. Fantastic broker-led property tour videos of your home are on a whole other level and it’s not even close.
There’s a reason HGTV and Bravo have entire shows based on brokers being on camera in these immaculate homes.
Your agent should be doing that for you. Period.
Where Do They Market?
The best luxury real estate agents focus their efforts online. 98% of all home buyers use the internet throughout their home search as of April 2019 according to the National Association of Realtors.
Newspaper ads and yard signs don’t cut it anymore.
Agents need to be going above and beyond to market their luxury home listings. Your broker should have a presence on social media, YouTube, and have a website (like this one) and maybe even a blog (like this one).
The more channels your agent uses, the odds of selling your home increases.
Their Network
This part isn’t as important as the others, but it still carries its weight. The truth is that one broker can’t know every other broker and the odds of that other broker happening to have the right buyer are extremely low.
However, it doesn’t hurt.
While it’s hard to get an idea for a broker’s network and private relationships, you’ll want to evaluate them like this. Would you continue to talk to them if you met them at a social function?
If you do, odds are others do, and that means they are more likely to have a network than not.
Like I said, this one isn’t as important and harder to gauge.
The Personality
Being an awesome person is important in the real estate game. In order to attract a large audience, you need to be an attractive person (not in a physical sense, although it can help).
Great luxury brokers have a good sense of what it means to be a people person. They’re not afraid to talk, they enjoy being energetic, and most importantly, they aren’t hesitant to talk about the awesome new listing they just got (your luxurious condo).
Besides being a natural campaigner for you. You’ll want to find a luxury broker who’s diligent and works effectively.
How quickly did they respond to your email? Did they answer your first phone call (we’re usually very busy so judge us on the time it takes to get back to you, please)? Did they thoroughly talk to you about the selling process? Did they seem to actually care about you and not the professional fee they’ll earn?
These are all questions to ask yourself. If you can get positive answers out of these questions, then odds are you have found yourself a fantastic luxury real estate broker.
The Knowledge
To me, the primary job for any real estate agent is to learn and understand the dynamics of their markets. For a luxury real estate agent, this is the same job, but it can be done differently.
Agents like me, who operate in multiple markets (ex. Asheville, NC and Charlotte, NC), have a different type of knowledge.
We see a lot, and I mean a lot, of different homes. From dazzling villas on the peak of a mountain to eccentric suburban mansions.
While some may say this is a bad thing because we’re not hyper-focused on a single neighborhood, therefore we don’t know what happens every five seconds in that area.
While yes, this is true, we’re not hyper-focused on one little tiny subdivision with maybe one hundred homes in it that perhaps yields four sales per year.
Instead, we’re focused on luxury real estate in general.
We see what every market has to offer. We see many different prices, amenities, features, details, architecture, and design that you simply won’t find in one subdivision.
It’s equal to becoming a world traveler. If you live in one country your whole life and never explore outside of it, then you won’t be able to understand the things outside your country. But, if you travel, then you can bring all that knowledge back, and make it even better at home.
In your case, this is an agent with better marketing, better experience, and possibly, a better sale price.
Brokers like me don’t work in markets. We create markets. Find one of us and you’ll be happy.
They Put In Effort
Last, but not least, does the agent put in the work? It’s so easy to take the information from your property and list it in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
Like, so easy.
But good agents actively market your property, continue to find new ways to get your home sold, and ultimately, sell your home.
It’s easier said than done, but the best agents continue to do what they say they’ll do, and they win the best listings.
My method of showcasing effort is by actively communicating my actions with clients.
In our initial meeting, I ask what they expect of me communication-wise and follow the plan they set for me.
If a client wants to talk to me every day by phone. I call my client every single day their property is on the market. I talk about what I’m doing to get the property sold and what I need to continue to do.
All agents have their own methods so it’s up to you to figure out what you want from them in terms of effort but often, communication is the deal maker or breaker.
Now You Can Make a Good Decision
This guide should serve you well when you go to select a luxury Realtor.
There are tons of amazing brokers. If you need help finding one, please contact me. I hold and maintain a large network of luxury brokers across the United States that all provide excellent service.
Of course, if you live in Asheville or Charlotte, North Carolina. I’m your go-to. You can get in touch with me on the contact page.
