Image by Joshua J. Cotten via Unsplash
Whether you’ve just begun the search for real estate in Tennessee, or you’re trying to sell a residence you’ve been in for decades and need some help navigating the market, you’re likely to want to enlist the help of the best real estate agents in Memphis. Buying or selling a home can be a stressful and confusing process, and most people don’t want to spend too much time researching their real estate agents. It can be helpful to have some guidance about which real estate agents are likely to serve their clients’ best interests.
What makes a good real estate agent?
Before you can decide on an agent, it may be worthwhile to determine what criteria you should be looking for. Some real estate agents will shine in one location or area of expertise but may fall short in skills that you find necessary. There are some factors that will be important for most clients and others that are more personal.
location expertise
Real estate agents may have different skills and expertise depending on the primary side of their business. If you’re in New York, agents from London may have some skills in a big-city’s real estate market, but they aren’t likely to be much help in choosing neighborhoods that fit your preferences. So, if their training is in rural Texas, and you’re in a suburban neighborhood in Tennessee, it may not be the best match.
Most buyers (and sellers) will find that an agent who specializes in their city, or even a smaller area of the city’s neighborhoods, will be better able to guide them toward real estate that fits their needs. Again, the needs of a Texas rancher are likely to be different from a Shelby County accountant, and a skilled agent can create a sense of comfort for the particular person in front of them.
overall experience
While it’s important to have knowledge of their local market, agents can be successful in a new market if they’ve developed excellent skills and are dedicated to their accounts. It’s not necessary for someone to be America’s Next Top Agent, as long as they listen to the needs of their clients and stay involved in their city’s unique real estate climate.
This is to say, even if a real estate agent did cut their teeth in New York or Texas, it doesn’t mean they’ll be unable to assist someone in Memphis. There are some universal factors that make for excellent real estate agents, and you wouldn’t want to risk missing on one one of these because they’ve been in Shelby County for less time.
the office
Many potential and current homeowners find comfort in agents who are employees of a major real estate firm. Real estate offices that have been in existence for longer, particularly if they were founded in the client’s area, are often regarded as more trustworthy. After all, there’s likely a reason they got to the age they are as a business.
These sorts of established practices can provide more effective education than America’s best university, when in comes to such an area-specific career as a real estate agent. Although a university degree can be useful, programs for real estate necessarily involve a lot of on-the-job learning, so agents working as employees in companies like Century 21 or Coldwell Banker may have an early leg up in their careers.
local legends
On the other hand, just because a company has offices in America’s top cities — or all over the world — doesn’t mean it’s going to have the presence in Memphis that is most advantageous to buyers. Century 21 may sell millions of homes, but an agent that grew up in New York City may still not have the personal knowledge about Memphis attractions or local art events that could be useful to a buyer.
Your local LLC has the potential to have a better sense of the life and news specific to Memphis that America’s best-selling real estate firm from a city hundreds of miles away. These sorts of locally-owned businesses sometimes have more information about how buying a house in Memphis may differ from January to December. How is the market different in the summer from the fall? Will those lovely gardens that first drew you to the home look different in November than when you put in an offer in August? The local real estate agents may have better answers to these sorts of area-specific questions.
Another potential benefit to a smaller LLC with a local city agent can be the fees. Buying and selling can often involve a lot of taxes and other expenses separate from the sale of the home. Some smaller offices have more leeway in the ability to reduce or waive fees for the agents, which could reduce the overall cost of the home.
REALTORS®
When searching for an agent, you may notice that some real estate agents tout their status as a REALTOR®, a member of the National Association of REALTORS® who follows a Code of Ethics created by the organization. This code has mandates such as:
- Treat all parties fairly, keeping your clients’ best interests at the forefront of your decisions.
- Be honest about the property, the value, and the benefits they can offer to clients.
- Be swift and efficient in submitting offers and counteroffers.
Although someone without this sort of membership can certainly adhere to a rigorous professional ethical standard, some clients feel more comfortable knowing that a REALTOR® is very unlikely to engage in business practices that go against their interests.
Real Estate Agents on the Rise
If you’ve been following the rise and fall of America’s real estate market, you may know that there’s been an era of unprecedented growth, far outpacing anything America’s seen so far this century. An era of growth will generally result in an era of leanness as markets stabilize, interest rates rise, and houses sold taper off a bit. An excellent real estate agent will know that the long upward march the country has been seeing will not continue forever, and they’ll be able to advise their clients about making the most of what’s available right now.
If you search for the top agents in Tennessee, you’re probably going to find people who have practically made real estate their religion and are going to know the city of Memphis like the back of their hands.
Stephen Akindona
Kairos Realty
Image Source: Kairos Realty
Stephen Akindona founded Kairos Realty two years ago in order to create the kind of real estate business whose focus is their clients. They help take the stress out of buying and selling with a team of experienced, friendly agents that people can trust.
Vanessa Marshall
Benchmark At Southwind, Llc
Image source: Benchmark Realtors at Southwind, LLC
Vanessa Marshall has nothing but 5-star reviews on Zillow, likely a result of her 24 years of experience in real estate. With a degree from the University of Memphis, she has impressed clients with her knowledge of the local market and her willingness to help at any time of the day.
Homelight ranks Marshall as one of the top real estate agents in Memphis due to lower-than-average days on market and higher-than-average completed sales. She also sells townhomes at a higher rate than most local agents.
Image Source: Memphis Area Association of Realtors
Mark Saller
Reedy Group Ii, Llc
Mark Saller is a second-generation REALTOR® and a native of Memphis who has been working in the area over 30 years. He has sold over 78% more single-family homes than the average real estate agent in the city.
A visit speaks a thousand words
Ultimately, what most people really want in a real estate agent is someone they feel comfortable around. You may be driving all over Memphis with this person, viewing site after site, exploring every building. It can be beneficial to choose someone that you just… like!
Real estate agents are the gateway to a big life change – buying and/or selling a home – and although it can sometimes feel like a race for your attention, choosing an agent with whom you’ve formed a connection can go a long way toward a successful experience, regardless of how quickly the “sold” status of the home occurs.
Sometimes, clients choose a designated real estate agent early in the process and later discover that their presence creates more stress, rather than relieving it. To avoid something like this from happening, it could be useful to spend time with several real estate agents before entering a contract. Even with top real estate agents, getting the most out of your experience is about finding the right fit – one-on-one.
