Passionate, energetic and extremely focused, Amber Werchon is one of Australia’s highest sales achievers. She has sold over $54 million dollars worth of property, was the youngest person to ever receive the REIQ Salesperson of the Year from 2005 to 2007, and has recently established her own agency, Amber Werchon Property.

Finding the right agent

July 4 | Amber Werchon

When choosing an agent to sell your property there are many factors that you need to consider.

Below are some recommendations to consider when selecting an agent:

REPUTATION: Your home is generally one of the largest assets you own, so it's imperative to deal with an agent you can trust.

One of the best ways of choosing an agent to sell your home is to get a referral from someone you trust, who has had experience with that agent.

If you cannot get a referral, and have no real knowledge of 'who's who' in your area, ring a few of your local agents and interview them.

To decide which agents to call, look through the papers to find out which agents are successfully marketing properties in your area, these are the agents to target.

When agents visit your property for an appraisal they should provide you with a comparative market analysis (CMA) for your home. The CMA may include:

1. At least three recent sales in your area of properties comparable to yours

2. Average house prices in your suburb

3. Properties similar to yours that are currently for sale

4. A list of properties the agent has recently sold, including the sale price.

Selling your home can be a very emotional and stressful time, so it's important to select an agent you feel comfortable with, as well as someone who has the best strategy and energy to obtain the best possible result.

TAKE CARE: The agent with the lowest commission rate and/or the highest "valuation" for your property is not necessarily the best option.

Some agents try and win business by charging you a very low fee to sell your home, or, alternatively giving you a very high valuation.

It is important that the valuation is realistic, otherwise your expectations can be too high, and can result in future disappointment.

In addition, it will make your property difficult to sell in a competitive market.

Make sure the agent supports their price with recent sales of similar properties in your area.

What you are really looking for should be an honest and ethical agent with a strong sales record who will market your home professionally in order to secure a sale in a reasonable timeframe.

Real estate is a customer service industry, not just a product based industry - make sure you're completely satisfied with the service you're getting.