Best Real Estate Agent In Santa Barbara – Sell My Home
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Questions To Help You Find The Best Real Estate Agent Possible.
We assume you are here to find the best real estate agent in Santa Barbara. We are big fans of people interviewing agents when buying or selling a home.
The question is what do you ask an agent and what answers are relevant or will help you make a decision.
We’ve searched a lot of independent sites like HGTV and HOUZZ to find the best questions to ask when interviewing a real estate agent in Santa Barbara.
We wittled it down to 5 questions that will reveal a lot about the skills and knowledge a real estate agent brings to the table. Read on to see.
Questions To Ask Your Next Real Estate Agent
1. How long have you been practicing real estate?
This is one of the most important questions you need to ask.
In every industry, the best are those who work hard and have lots of experience. Experienced real estate agents know the various contracts & documents, understand the current market conditions, take lots of continuing ed classes and know how to do every detail of their job.
Most experts say working with an agent who has 10+ years of full-time experience pays off in the end.
FYI: The Santa Barbara Group’s agents, Joe Parker & Garrett McCaw have been full-time Realtors since 2001 & 2004 respectively.
Clients appreciate their thorough knowledge and the fact they spend many hours each week studying the market, viewing homes for sale and taking classes. Real estate is their profession, not a hobby.
When you combine their skills and passion with being really great guys, it is no wonder they rank in the top 5% of agents in Santa Barbara.
Interview Questions To Help Find A Great Agent
2. How Many Homes Have You Bought or Sold in the Past Year?
According to Quora & Realtor.com, nearly 40% of licensed agents never sell a home and the average agent only buys or sells 3-4 homes per year.
Seriously, how good would you be at your job if you only did it 3-4 times a year?
In our experience, the agents who get the job done treat their work as a profession and closes over 15 transactions per year. Getting to the finish line 15+ times per year keeps their skills sharp and gives you the best chance of having a great experience and avoiding trouble and frustration.
FYI: Garrett McCaw and Joe Parker completed 26 purchases/sales in 2017 and are on track to help 27+ people buy or sell a home in 2018. With over 400 completed sales under their belt, they have helped both new and seasoned clients.
Experience matters and is why so many say Joe Parker & Garrett McCaw are the best real estate agents in Santa Barbara.
3 More Questions You’ll Want To Ask
3. How well do you know the area I am interested in buying or selling a home?
4. How often do you preview area listings?
5. How often do you attend office and industry meetings?
Understanding the area and its various neighborhoods are very important. An agent needs to know the schools, area benefits, pitfalls and especially the homes.
Even though Santa Barbara is a small community, the many neighborhoods vary tremendously. An agent who hasn’t lived here long simply doesn’t know as much as a long-term resident or native. Look for an agent who has lived and worked in Santa Barbara area real estate for a minimum of 10 years.
An industry professional will take the time to preview new homes on the market most every week. In Santa Barbara it is called going on Caravan. If the agent you’re interviewing doesn’t take the time to go out and look at the homes for sale, look for one who does.
The real estate market is ever changing. Laws change, required forms change, City codes and requirement too. Your agent should be attending lots of continueing education classes, office meetings and other events. If they aren’t doing this, it is unlikely they have the knowledge and skills to do a great job and keep you safe and well represented. Knowledge does matter.
FYI: The Santa Barbara Group’s agents, Joe Parker & Garrett McCaw have been full-time Realtors since 1998 & 2004 respectively. Joe is a native and Gerrett has called Santa Barbara home for over 2 decades.
Clients appreciate their thorough knowledge of all the documents, timelines and City/State requirements when buying or selling a house.
Joe & Garrett spend many hours each week studying the market, viewing homes and taking classes. Real estate is their profession, not a hobby or part time job.
A Few Words From Joe and Garrett
We hope this information has been helpful. If you are interviewing local agents, we’d love to be among them. We’ll be happy to answer your questions, listen to your needs and offer a plan of action designed especially for you.
Best to you,
Joe Parker, Garrett McCaw, Avi Becker
The Santa Barbara Group
Berkshire Hathaway HSCP
3868 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93105
info@thesantabarbaragroup.com
