Agent vs Salesperson

In today's real estate industry there are many real estate agents, as it is expected all real estate agents market themselves as such and will claim to be the one you should choose. For the first time buyer and or seller it is really hard to be able identify an agent from a salesperson. To be clear Real Estate Agents are all license by the states and must hold active real estate licenses.  This article is aimed to help you know the difference.

1.Agent.

   An agent is like a knowledgeable guide who works on your behalf. They represent you and have your best interests in mind. Agents are usually experts in a particular field, such as real estate, insurance, or entertainment. They gather information about your needs and preferences and then search for the best options available. Once they find something that matches what you're looking for, they negotiate on your behalf to get you the best deal. Agents are more focused on finding the right solution for you rather than just making a sale. They provide advice, answer your questions, and help you make informed decisions.

2. Salesperson.

   A salesperson, on the other hand, is someone who is trying to sell you a product or service. They work for a company and their main goal is to persuade you to buy what they're offering. Salespeople might approach you with different options, highlighting the features and benefits of what they're selling. While they can provide information, their main aim is to make a sale and earn a commission. Their focus is on convincing you to buy what they have to offer, and they might not always have your specific needs and preferences in mind.

In short, an agent is like a knowledgeable helper who looks out for your best interests and assists you in making the right choice, while a salesperson is focused on selling you, they will use tactics like persuasion, and closing  technics. Both have their roles, but an agent is generally more customer-centric and advisory, while a salesperson is more focused on selling you now.

How can you tell if your agent is behaving like a sales person. There are many differences. below are just a few examples.

On the first meeting.

• Real estate agent will focus on building a rapport. The agent will first provide you with a presentation to explain the service he or she  provide, the agent will then ask very specific questions, the idea is to understand your desires and needs, see the agent is focus on achieving your goals and to represent you in the real estate transaction, there for, it is the upmost importance to have a clear vision to best assist you. You can also expect to be educated on the actual process. Out of this meeting the real estate agent will stablish a strategy and a plan to help you achieve your goals. The first meeting could be lengthy. 

• Real estate agent behaving like a sales person will focus and qualifying you, They will talk for the most part of the meeting, they will only ask you questions to find out if you have any objections as to overcome the objections and keep you inline. You can expect the meeting to be short and sweet.

While looking for homes.

• Real estate agent will make a list of  homes based on your criteria, usually the homes you will see are the ones you choose to see. While house hunting the agent will focus on learning more about your taste as to narrow down the homes you want to see and disqualify the ones you are not really interested in. The agent will point pros and cons of every home you see but will not try to sell you on a specific home. you will likely never feel like you need to make a decision on the spot. The agent makes sure you have all the information on hand in regards to the pricing and market value assessments. For the agent, the better the service they provide the more future business they will get from you and your peers.

• Real estate agent behaving like a sales person will show you what they want to show you. Their goal is not to show you more than 3 homes, this becomes really evident while you are looking at homes, they become inpatient and are always trying to find out if that home you just saw is the right one. They will say things like, "ok this home looks great and it really fits your family, I think you should make an offer" some can be a bit more settle but not for long. The pressure builds, see unlike an agent a salesperson is looking to spend as little time as possible so they can move on to the next one, it is a numbers game for them on a short term.

While Helping you sell your home.

• The real estate agent's focus is to make sure you understand the marketing and selling strategies. They will guide you through the preparation and presentation of the home to yield the best possible financial outcome for you as a seller of a real property. See when it comes to selling your home 99 % of the battle is positioning, a professional  real estate agent will make sure your home is position on the market to maximize your financial gains. After that the agent manages your home on the active R.E. market and advises you on negotiations tactics and best practices to successfully close the sale of your home.

• Real estate agent behaving like a sales person. The main focus is to have you sign a listing regardless of how over price or under price your home is. there is very little time spent on helping you understand that the better the home looks the better the financial outcome. A sales person just wants to put your home on the market wait for an offer and convince you to accept them. They will use persuasion and pressure tactics, they will do a say whatever they have to do and say for you to sign on the dotted line. Again their focus is on closing the transaction as soon as possible to move on to the next. They are not to concern if you want to do business with them again. They are always looking for the next person to put in a contract.

In short a real estate agent owes you fiduciary duty and so does the real estate agent behaving like a salesperson, however the unfortunately reality is that for the most part in the real world these agents act as if they don't, or at least that is what it seems. 

The good news is, you can identify these people and choose better when it comes down to finding the right agent to work with. I hope this helps. If you are in Riverside county, Orange county, San Bernardino county, San Diego County and you are looking for a Realtor with experience I am only a message or phone call away. Horacio Granados, Your Trusted Local Realtor.