When a houseagent is best: When she knows what she’s doing, not when she’s making a sale article When she’s right: When it’s a matter of making the best out of a situation.
“The most important thing is to know the client’s needs and the needs of the client and that they are being served by the agency,” says Tom Haggard, chief executive of Haggards, a brokerage in the Bay Area.
“That makes the best of a bad situation.”
Agency agents should know their clients well and understand their interests, Haggart says.
They should also be comfortable working with a client’s social media accounts.
“If the client is on Facebook and Twitter, and they don’t have a home, the agent is in trouble.
So the agency has to know who their target audience is,” Haggess says.
A house agent must also know their client’s history, Higgards says.
“You have to understand what the client likes, what they don’s and what they dislike, and then you can make the best use of the information,” he says.
Haggsard adds that a good house agent should be willing to go out of her way to work with clients, even if they aren’t paying a fee.
“Sometimes they’re paying for a house, and if you don’t, you’re going to find yourself being out of your depth,” Higgard says.
The agent can be your friend or a friend of a friend, says Hagg.
“It depends on the client,” Hagan says.
He suggests that agents get involved in local organizations.
“When you’re a house agency, you need to go to local community organizations and do some fundraising and get your name out there,” Hagin says.
If you are new to the business, a home-based agent can help you establish your client’s goals and provide guidance about the best course of action.
A good houseagent must also understand the needs and interests of the clients.
“They need a place to live, they need an apartment, they’re looking for something that fits them, they want their child to be with a loving family, they just want something that will be a safe haven for them,” Huggards says, adding that agents need to be able to help clients with their medical needs.
“But also, if the client has financial problems or problems with their health or anything like that, that’s something that you should be able and willing to work on and get involved with,” he adds.
If a home agent doesn’t know the language, she should be fluent in it, Hagan advises.
“Then you have to learn what they mean by that,” Higgs says.
In addition, agents must be comfortable with a new client, Hagin recommends.
“An agent needs to be comfortable in that environment and know that this is a new job and they’re going through a transition, and that she’s going to be working with an adult client,” he said.
“There’s no point in being too familiar with what the clients are talking about.”
Hagg said a good home- based agent will be able “get in the door with clients at the beginning and keep them engaged and in the loop.”
And he recommends that agents work in multiple languages.
“As a houseagency agent, you have a responsibility to work across cultures,” Hagges says.
