In search of the best real estate agent in the city

* Partner Post

Every day, you must come across multiple posts that state the pros of working with the excellent real estate professionals. Or, those that talk about tips and tricks of finding the best real estate agents in the city. However, have you ever wondered about the raw materials that make an excellent real estate agent? Are all the agents you see on the top 10 lists that good? Are there other great agents you are missing out because you are skimming the lists?

Why are the great real estate agents hard to find?

Research shows that the best real estate agent in Singapore might be a little hard to find. The best agent is always working quietly and steadily. In most cases, you hear about an agent because he closed a deal in record time or maybe he made one major mistake that the market won't forget. Nonetheless, you cannot discount the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of agents across the country, and it is impossible to assess everyone by their performance. The total number of listings the agents close and the amount they pool in become the yardstick of their success.

The best agents often do not cash in as many checks as the ravenous and more "professional" counterparts, but they resolve problems of their clients before the client, or the market gets a whiff of them. They are the rare 10% of the country's agents, who counsel their clients and potential customers, instead of agreeing to every doubt and pushing the sales. These agents are client-oriented, human and they make the buying and transfer of ownership process as smooth as possible for their entire clientele.

Are there different types of good real estate agents?

In most of the cases, you will find that the best agents focus on specific types of real estate. Some of them focus on the commercial real estate that includes individual shops, shopping malls, office spaces, storage spaces, and warehouses. Others concentrate on family or non-commercial real estate that provides for city apartments, condos, and duplexes. There are further distinctions between the two categories. For example – family real estate can encompass suburban areas, farmhouses, city homes or small bachelor pads (aka studio apartments) in the heart of the city. The agents, who focus on suburban homes, have a precise understanding of their architecture, planning, construction, and layout. They are less likely to take the same interest or offer the same level of expertise on a duplex apartment in the city or commercial office space for rent downtown.

Being a real estate agent takes a lot of work. It is not as simple as walking into an open house, pulling impressive moves, talking a little, pocketing the check and walking out. It is a complex profession that requires the understanding of homes and varieties of architecture, good conversational skills, acute problem-solving aptitude and a professional demeanour. He or she should not be in a rush to close the deal, and the agent should not prioritize the cash over the clients.