How Experienced is Your Agent?

How much experience do most agents have?

According the the National Association of Realtors, 87% of real estate agents leave the industry within five years of entering it. That means that the overwhelming majority of agents has fewer than five years of experience. Before I go any further, I’d like to preface this post by saying that we (all real estate agents) were all new once and a lack of experience doesn’t automatically translate to an unprofessional transaction.

Why does experience matter?

That said….Whether you are thinking of buying, selling or both, working with an experienced agent is a good idea. The more transactions your agent has done, the more prepared she will be for whatever may come up. She’ll have shown more houses, written more offers, negotiated more contracts/inspections and kept more deals on track to close than a novice. You know what they say: there is no substitute for experience.

Do they have the experience I need?

When you are interviewing agents, be sure to ask the right questions pertaining to their experience–how long they’ve been in the business, roughly how many transactions (buy/list) they do annually, what their sweet spot is as far as price, which neighborhoods they sell most often in (and most recently) and anything else that matters to you. (Speaking of experience, you might look up their reviews on line to find out what their clients’ experience with them has been.)

Remember that while responsiveness, clear communication, availability and many other qualities are key to the quality of your transaction, they can’t replace experience in the field. Your best bet is to find an agent with all of the above!

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973