Being in real estate in Hawaii for over 34 years as a brokerage owner, agent, and trainer, I have noticed that certain characteristics are common in great real estate agents.

Trust and Honesty

You have to be comfortable that your agent will put your needs and desires before their own. Your agent should give you all the information (good and bad) that you need to make informed decisions.

Accessibility and Sense of Urgency

Being able to get ahold of your agent may make the difference between acquiring your dream home and losing it. Hours and even minutes can be determining factors when negotiating on a property. An agent ready to act when necessary is critical.

Negotiation Skills

An agent with effective negotiation skills can save you thousands of dollars if you are a buyer and make you thousands of dollars if you are a seller. Effective negotiators should always tell the truth. It is how they deliver the message that makes them effective.

Market Knowledge

An agent who knows the neighborhood is critically important. As a Seller, a well-informed agent can explain to prospective buyers the many positive features of not only the home but also of the neighborhood. As a Buyer, an agent with neighborhood knowledge can help the Buyer avoid potential problems, such as being in an area known for landslides.

Contracting Skills

There are so many possible combinations of special terms, addendums, and amendments that can be added to the standard purchase contract. An agent who knows how to complete a real estate contract and related documents properly can facilitate a much smoother transaction for their clients.

Completeness

An agent familiar with navigating the many facets of a real estate transaction, such as title reports, surveys, termite inspections, home inspections, etc., will result in real estate transactions with fewer issues and misunderstandings both during escrow and after closing.

Access to Proper Support

In today’s real estate environment, it is very difficult for one individual to provide the time and skills necessary to deliver the real estate services a Buyer and Seller deserve. Access to proper marketing, technology, legal, and transaction management support will put your agent in the position to facilitate a successful real estate transaction on your behalf.

A Strong Work Ethic

An agent can have all the skills in the world, but if that agent does not like to work (e.g., show properties, sit open houses, meet with clients, attend training to become better, etc.), the client will suffer by receiving sub-standard service.

Effective Marketing Venues

An effective agent will know where and when to market your property for sale. The marketing venues will make sense from both a cost/benefit standpoint and an audience exposure perspective. In other words, the marketing should match the property.

No one agent can be perfect, and rate as excellent in all the categories noted above, but the more your agent has incorporated these characteristics into their real estate practice, the higher the probability of having a positive real estate experience.